EFFECTS OF PERCUTANEOUS MITRAL VALVULOPLASTY ON LEFT-VENTRICULAR MASS AND VOLUME

The response of left ventricular (LV) geometry to altered loading conditions after mitral valvuloplasty has been incompletely described. Therefore, 15 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis were studied using quantitative 2-dimensional echocardiography a mean of 1 +/- 2 months before and 11 +/- 5 months after percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Mitral valve area (Gorlin) increased in all patients, from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.9 +/- 0.5 cm2 (p < 0.01). Mitral regurgitation (1+/4+) developed in 3 patients, and increased by 1 grade in 1 patient as a consequence of mitral valvuloplasty. After valvuloplasty, there were significant increases in LV end-diastolic volume (69 +/- 22 to 82 +/- 26 ml, p < 0.01), stroke volume (34 +/- 13 to 46 +/- 19 ml, p < 0.05) and mass (181 +/- 46 to 200 +/- 42 ml, p < 0.005). LV end-systolic volume and ejection fraction did not change significantly. LV mass-to-volume ratio was unchanged (5.6 +/- 1.5 to 5.8 +/- 1.4 g/ml, p = not significant). Quantitatively similar results were obtained when these changes were indexed to body surface area. Thus, successful mitral valvuloplasty was associated with significant increases in LV end-diastolic volume and mass. These findings suggest that increased preload may be a stimulus to myocardial growth.