Abstract

Simultaneous biplane left ventriculography was performed in 59 patients with ischaemic heart disease. A comparison was made of the frontal (EFF), lateral (EFL), and biplane (EFB) ejection fractions. Discrepancies between the three measurements in the same patient were frequent observed. The patients were then grouped according to the presence or absence of signs of transmural myocardial infarction in the electrocardiogram or wall motion abnormalities, and the single and biplane EF data were again compared. There were 31 patients with previous transmural myocardial infarction and 37 patients with wall motion abnormalities, usually involving the anterior or inferior walls. The EFL of patients with transmural myocardial infarction or wall motion abnormalities commonly exceeded the EEF, because of frequent preservation of dorsal wall contraction visualized only in the lateral plane. Consequently, there was a significant difference between EFF or EFL and EFB for these patients. In contrast, there was close agreement EEF and EFL for patients without transmural myocardial infarction or wall motion abnormalities. It is concluded that differences frequently occur between single and biplane EF in patients with ischaemic heart disease, especially if transmural myocardial infarction or wall motion abnormalities are present. Hence, accurate assessment of left ventricular performance is greatly facilitated by simultaneous or sequential biplane ventriculography.