H. Ogawa et al., IMPROVEMENT OF REGIONAL WALL-MOTION IN MEDICALLY TREATED MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION WITH SINGLE-VESSEL CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE, Japanese Circulation Journal, 58(2), 1994, pp. 87-94
Long-term changes in regional wall motion (RWM) following acute myocar
dial infarction (AMI) in 42 patients with uncomplicated single-vessel
disease were examined retrospectively by repeat cardiac catheterizatio
ns. The first and second cardiac catheterizations were performed at an
average of 28 days and 6.6 years after the onset of AMI, respectively
. All 42 patients underwent first and second cardiac catheterizations
without undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary angiopla
sty. Regional left ventricular functions were analyzed by the centerli
ne method using a right anterior oblique left ventriculogram. The wall
motion abnormality score (WMAS) was defined as [#chord below -2SD] X
[mean SD chord below -2SD]. The improvement in the WMAS was more promi
nent in cases with an occluded infarct-related artery. Thus, we conclu
ded that 1) RWM improves significantly with medical treatment in long-
term follow-up in cases of uncomplicated AMI with single-vessel diseas
e, and 2) the improvement of RWM is completed within the first few wee
ks after AMI in cases with a patent infarct-related artery.