Mitral valve E-point septal separation as an indicator of ejection fraction in patients with reversed septal motion.

The mitral valve E-point septal separation (EPSS) is widely used as an M-mode echocardiographic indicator of normal or abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction. Other M-mode echocardiographic estimates of left ventricular function (eg, fractional shortening) have limited utility in the presence of abnormal septal motion. The utility of EPSS was investigated in predicting a normal or abnormal ejection fraction in 27 patients with reversed septal motion, and to compare these results with 103 patients with normal septal motion. It was determined that EPSS is valid as an indicator of the presence of a normal or abnormal ejection fraction regardless of abnormalities of septal motion.