Sigmental right ventricular contractile function in patients with ischemic heart disease

Segmental right ventricular function was assessed by dobutamine stress echocardiography in 101 patients with ischemic heart disease and multiple coronary artery lesions. At rest local wall motion abnormalities were found in 69% of patients. Overall 505 segments of the right ventricle were analyzed (5 per patient). At baseline 34% of segments were asynergic (31% - hypokinetic and 3% akinetic), right ventricular wall motion score index was 1.38+/-0.04. Low dose dobutamine infusion resulted in decrease of portion of asynergic segments (to 6%) and lowering of wall motion score index (to 1.09+/-0.02, p<0.001 vs baseline). The use of stress doses of dobutamine was associated with appearance of ischemic changes of the right ventricle accompanied with typical anginal attacks and ST-segment depressions; increases of portions of asynergic segments (up to 53% including 43% hypokinetic and 10% akinetic), and of patients with abnormalities of local contractility (up to 90%); rise of wall motion score index (up to 1.64+/-0.05, p<0.001 vs low dose dobutamine). Segmental right ventricular wall motion abnormalities reflected mostly reversible myocardial dysfunction (hibernating myocardium was revealed in 28, scar - in 6, and zone at risk of ischemia - in 47% of all segments). Right ventricular myocardial dysfunction developed in patients with predominant involvement of the right coronary artery or anterior interventricular branch.