Abstract

Comparisons were made between enzymic indices of myocardial infarct size (total creatine kinase appearance and peak enzyme activity) measured during the acute state of a first myocardial infarct in 32 male patients, and analysis of contraction abnormalities in biplane left ventricular cineangiocardiograms performed one month later. The cineangiocardiograms were analysed independently by two radiologists, each using two different methods for quantification of subjectively classified abnormalities of left ventricular wall motion. A very strong correlation was found between the two enzymic indices of infarct size and somewhat weaker correlations between assessment of contractility abnormalities made by the two radiologists using the same method, or by the same radiologist using the two different methods. Comparisons between enzymic and angiocardiographic indices for all infarcts showed correlation coefficients (r) within the range of 0.53 to 0.72. With all comparisons of enzymic with radiological indices r values were higher for anterior infarcts than for inferior infarcts, and there was a tendency for higher enzyme levels for a given degree of left ventricular damage in inferior than in anterior infarction. This may be the result of variable degrees of right ventricular damage in inferior infarction.