[Left bundle-branch block: inferences from ventricular septal motion in the echocardiogram concerning left ventricular function].

In left bundle branch block (LBBB) abnormal motions of the interventricular septum (IVS) are well known in echocardiography. We asked: (1) Is it possible to distinguish several kinds of IVS motion in the M-mode echocardiogram and (2) Is there any correlation with clinical data? We analyzed the M-mode echocardiograms of 100 patients in whom LBBB had been diagnosed, either alone or in connection with latent or dilatative cardiomyopathy. All showed a posterior motion of the IVS in early systole. Three kinds of motion could subsequently be identified: anterior (= paradox) (18%, type A), posterior (= normal) (58%, type B), and intermediate (24%, type AB). Group A had a more severe clinical stage of disease than group B (p less than 0.0005); ECG showed a longer QRS complex (p less than 0.0005), X-ray a bigger cardiac-thoracic ratio (p less than 0.0005), and M-mode-echocardiogram larger left ventricular end-diastolic diameters (p less than 0.025). Mean values of group AB fell between those of group A and those of group B. Moreover, ejection fraction at left ventricular angiography was lower in group A (52.0%) than in groups AB (58.0%) and B (62.9%) (A vs B p less than 0.005), and mean pulmonary artery pressure on exertion was higher in group A (43.3 mm Hg) than in groups AB (38.1 mm Hg) and B (28.7 mm Hg) (A vs. B p less than 0.0005). For types A and AB taken together, the likelihood of abnormal pulmonary artery pressure on exertion was 88%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)