Left ventricular mass: impact on left ventricular contractile function and its reversibility in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement.
BACKGROUND
We examined the relationships of left ventricular (LV) contractile state with LV geometry and hypertrophy in patients with aortic valve disease, and investigated the reversibility of LV hypertrophy and contractility following aortic valve replacement.


METHODS
Preoperative data from quantitative cineangiography and pressure measurements in 132 patients with chronic aortic valve disease, of whom 82 aortic regurgitation (AR), 41 aortic stenosis (AS), and 9 had mixed stenosis and regurgitation (AS-AR), were reviewed. Late after surgery, 59 of the patients (39 with AR, 20 with AS) were studied to elucidate the postoperative reversibility of LV performance and regression of LV hypertrophy.


RESULTS
Preoperatively, multiple comparison tests found significant changes in the variables of LV volumes and dimensions in relation to LV contractile state. In stepwise regression analysis, the LV mass index was initially incorporated into a multivariate regression model as an important correlate of LV contractile state. LV geometric variables showed either no or a poor correlation with contractile state. Following aortic valve replacement, improvement of LV contractile dysfunction and regression of LV hypertrophy were limited in many of the patients who had severe preoperative hypertrophy (LV mass index 200% of normal or greater). Further, a close association between LV hypertrophy and LV contractility persisted postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the development of LV hypertrophy in terms of an increase in LV mass index, in contrast to changes in geometric patterns, is significantly associated with deterioration in contractile function. LV hypertrophy may become irreversible and pathological at equivalent degrees of hypertrophy (LV mass index >/=200% of normal), regardless of the type of aortic valve lesion.
Taniguchi
Kazuhiro
K
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka Rosai Hospital, 1179-3 Nagasone-cho, Sakai, Osaka 591-8025, Japan. kazuhiro@orh.go.jp
Takahashi
Toshiki
T
Toda
Koichi
K
Matsue
Hajime
H
Shudo
Yasuhiro
Y
Shintani
Hideo
H
Mitsuno
Masataka
M
Sawa
Yoshiki
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*