Abnormalities of left ventricular filling in patients with coronary artery disease: assessment by colour M-mode Doppler technique.

In 54 healthy individuals and 107 patients with coronary artery disease, intraventricular early filling velocities were recorded by colour M-mode Doppler. The time difference between the occurrence of peak velocity in the apical region and at the mitral tip was calculated, and normalized by dividing it by the mitral to apical distance. Transmitral velocities were determined by the single pulsed Doppler technique. The patients were divided into groups according to systolic function as assessed by left ventriculography. The normalized time difference was similar in the reference group (12 +/- 8 ms.cm-1) and the patient group with no electrocardiographical signs of previous infarction and normal ventriculography (16 +/- 16 ms.cm-1). It increased significantly in the group with infarction and/or regional systolic dysfunction (43 +/- 21 ms.cm-1), and a further increase was present in the group with severely impaired ventricles (53 +/- 14 ms.cm-1). The ratio between peak early and late transmitral velocity fell significantly in the group with infarction and/or regional systolic dysfunction, but was normalized in the group with severely impaired ventricles. Colour M-mode Doppler shows that apical filling is delayed in patients with injured left ventricles due to coronary artery disease. This delay increases with progression of ventricular injury. The technique may be an important addition to transmitral pulsed Doppler in assessing left ventricular filling.