MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION IN MITRAL-VALVE PROL APSE WITH ARRHYTHMIC SYNDROME

Myocardial perfusion was studied in 12 patients with mitral valve prol apse concurrent with cardiac arrhythmias by using two-dimensional Tl-2 01 myocardial scintigraphy at rest and during exercise test. Signs of myocardial ischemia were revealed only in one case. Five patients were found to have steady-state perfusion defects whose extent correlated with the depth of mitral valve prolapse. There was an irregular distri bution of myocardial blood flow, which ceased on exercise in 10 out of 12 patients. Patients with ventricular premature contraction displaye d a decreased reserve of myocardial blood flow as compared to those wi th supraventricular premature contraction, presumably by enhancing myo cardial perfusion at rest.