title: The natural history of the Q wave in inferoposterior myocardial infarction.
abstract: One hundred and twenty-five patients who had suffered transmural inferior myocardial infarctions were followed up for a mean period of 55 months. On electrocardiography the area under the pathological Q waves in the inferior leads was measured serially. Eighty-one patients (65%) showed a highly significant time-related diminution in Q-wave area. The ECGs of 17 subjects (14%) became normal and there was no electrocardiographic evidence of the previous myocardial infarction. The Q waves of the remaining 44 subjects (35%) remained constant or increased. A discussion of the possible mechanisms of changes in Q-wave size follows.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*