Left ventricular endomycardial biopsy. I: description and evaluation of the technique.

The results of left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy by means of a long sheath technique in 154 patients are reported. The risks of left ventricular biopsy are those of left heart catheterisation. In 30 of these patients the results of left and right ventricular biopsy were compared, and in further 10 patients the right ventricle only was biopsied. Biopsy from the left ventricle carries less risk of cardiac perforation, gives a higher incidence of successful biopsy, and with the exception of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy yields more diagnostic information.