RELATIONSHIP OF PULMONARY VENOUS FLOW PATTERN TO MEAN LEFT ATRIAL PRESSURE AND PHASIC PRESSURE CHANGE

To assess the correlation of pulmonary venous flow pattern with the ma gnitude of the dynamic change in left atrial pressure (i.e. x and y de scents) and to elucidate the way how pulmonary venous flow pattern ref lects left atrial pressure, we studied 35 patients with normal sinus r hythm undergoing transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac catheter ization. The ratio of peak systolic/diastolic flow correlated well wit h the ratio of x/y descent (r = 0.88) and the ratio of systolic/diasto lic velocity-time integral (r = 0.89), The correlation between the rat io of systolic/diastolic flow or velocity-time integral and mean atria l pressure was less strong (r = -0.49 and -0.70, respectively). We con clude that the ratio of peak systolic/diastolic flow velocity, or the ratio of systolic/diastolic velocity-time integral of pulmonary venous flow reflects the phasic change in left atrial pressure more appropri ately than the mean left atrial pressure. Due to the good correlation between the phasic change in left atrial pressure and pulmonary venous flow pattern, the flow pattern of pulmonary veins could be used to id entify diseases with specific patterns of left atrial pressure.