Left ventricular function and mitral valve opening in massive pulmonary embolism.
M-mode echocardiograms are demonstrated from a patient with subacute massive pulmonary embolism before and after thrombolytic treatment and clinical recovery. Severely impaired left ventricular contraction returned to normal. A reversible reduction in mitral valve opening velocity was also seen and was thought to be in part the result of diminished left atrial filling. This hypothesis was tested experimentally; mitral valve opening velocity was measured in normal subjects and found to be significantly reduced when pulmonary blood flow was impeded during the Valsalva manoeuvre.
D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*