title: Correlation of reciprocal ST-segment depression after acute myocardial infarction with coronary angiographic findings.
abstract: We studied 266 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction to assess the significance of electrocardiographic "mirror images". Ninety-four (group A) had anterior wall and 132 (group B) had inferior wall infarction. Thirty-one group A patients had stenosis of the right coronary artery greater than 85% in diameter (subgroup A1), and 63 either had a normal right coronary artery or less than 85% stenosis (subgroup A2). Of group B patients 62 had greater than 85% stenosis of the left anterior descending (subgroup B1) and 70 had a left anterior descending or less than 85% stenosis (subgroup B2). ST-segment depression was significantly greater in depth and duration in subgroup A1 than A2 (p = 0.02) and in subgroup B1 than B2 (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, respectively). Left ventricular ejection fraction was lower in subgroup A1 than A2 (p less than 0.001) and in B1 than B2 (p less than 0.001). There was a strongly positive correlation between depth and duration of ST-segment depression and the Gensini index (r = 0.78, 0.84) for anterior and inferior infarction, respectively. In conclusion, increased depth and duration of ST-segment depression opposite the infarct are indicative of ischemia, and are related to the extent of coronary artery disease, the degree of stenosis of the vessels supplying the opposite wall and of left ventricular dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Department, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyriakidis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonopoulos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbetseas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aspiotis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Georgiakodis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfikakis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013318:Stroke Volume