LACK OF VENTRICULAR REMODELING IN NON-Q-WAVE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

We prospectively examined 45 patients with serial echocardiography to measure left ventricular end-diastolic volume index within 1 week and at 6 weeks after infarction. Left ventricular volume increased in pati ents with Q-wave infarction but not in those with non-Q or in control patients without recent infarction. Peak creatine phosphokinase levels were greater in Q-wave infarction compared with those in non-Q-wave i nfarction. There was a strong correlation between the change in the le ft ventricular end-diastolic index and the peak creatine phosphokinase level. After correcting for infarct size, there was still a differenc e between the two groups. Our data indicate that ventricular remodelin g does not occur in non-Q-wave as opposed to Q-wave infarcts, and this may be related both to the limited amount of myocardial necrosis and to the nontransmural extent of the necrosis.