The evaluation of mitral heart disease by angiocardiography

Left ventriculography with RAO projection gives many information about the states of mitral apparatus and of left ventricular function. The knowledge about these are very important to determination of performance, time and method of cardiac surgery in mitral valvular heart diseases. 20 patients of mitral valvular heart disease were studied with left ventriculographies in RAO projection which were taken before open heart surgery at department of radiology, National Medical Center during 1976 to June 1980, Comparing with operative findings and pathologic specimens. The results are as follows; 1. Poor motilities and irregularities of mitral valves which were visible above the fulcrum, and irregularities and severe retraction of the fornix during left ventricular systolic phases on left ventriculographies were compatible to the stage III by Sellers' classification of mitral valvular stenosis on operative findings. Mild degree of irregularities and restriction with smooth fornix suggested the stage I. The findings between these two, the stage II. 2. MI group showed left ventricular dilation without hypertrophy, MS group, no significant effect on LV, Ao group, enlargement with hypertrophy. 3. In Ms and MI groups, ejection fraction were relatively well preserved until grade I-II of NYHA Classification. But grade III-IV revealed decreased ejection fraction. E. F. was below 0.55 in 86% of grade III-IV. In Ao group, grade IV showed well preservation of E. F. 4. The pattern of left ventricular contraction demonstrated hypokinetic synesis or asynesis in 44.4% of grade IV, but was normal in all cases below grade III. Hyperkinetic synesis was visible in all Ao group. 5. Left ventriculography is essential to evaluation of mitral valve apparatus and LV function in mitral heart diseases before cardiac surgery