Pump dysfunction after myocardial infarction: importance of location, extent and pattern of abnormal left ventricular segmental contraction.

To delineate the relative effects on left ventricular function of the site, extent and nature of the abnormal left ventricular segmental contraction (dyssynergy) and thereby determine the mechanism by which anterior myocardial infarction results in greater depression of left ventricular performance than does inferior infarction, 43 patients with remote myocardial infarction of similar extent (average 38 percent of left ventricular systolic perimeter) and associated hypokinesia or dyskinesia confined to either the anterior or inferior wall were compared; 10 additional patients were evaluated who exhibited generalized dyssynergy (72 percent of left ventricular perimeter). When the pattern of dyssynergy and extent of infarction were similar, the location alone of dyssynergy did not influence variables of left ventricular function. However paradoxical outward systolic movement (dyskinesia) of the anterior or inferior wall resulted in greater depression (P less than 0.05) of measures of left ventricular performance than did diminished inward systolic motion (hypokinesia) associated with infarction of similar extent and location. All measures of left ventricular performance were considerably more depressed (P less than 0.05) in the 10 patients with generalized dyssynergy than in the 43 patients with localized dyssynergy. Thus, the location of infarction is not a unique determinant of left ventricular performance. Instead, the size of infarction is the principal characteristic of dyssynergy that impairs left ventricular function; the severity of the pattern of dyssynergy is significant but of lesser importance. It is therefore concluded that the greater reduction of left ventricular function in anterior than in inferior myocardial is largely the result of the more extensive area of necrosis rather than of the location of the infarction.