[Three-dimensional echocardiography in assessment of left ventricular myocardial mass: comparison of the results of one-dimensional, two-dimensional echocardiography and MR tomography].

AIM: To compare different techniques of calculation of left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMM) by one-, two- and three-dimentional echocardiography (EchoCG) and by MRT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We calculated LVMM by formulas Penn-cub and modified ASE in one-, two- and three-dimentional EchoCG regimes and MRT; evaluated structural-geometrical characteristics of the left ventricle at various stages of hypertension in 53 hypertensive patients (42 males and 11 females). RESULTS: Mean LVMM values calculated according to two formulas in one-dimentional regime did not differ significantly but were higher than in two- and three-dimentional regimes. LVMM value according to three-dimentional EchoCG was closer to the results of the summation estimation in MRT. CONCLUSION: Conventional EchoCG methods of LVMM calculation in M-regime (Penn-cub, ASE) overestimate the results. Most compatible with three-dimentional EchoCG results are those of EchoCG in two-dimentional regime (area-length).

Echocardiographic assessment of the haemodynamic effect of ethmozine and its diethylamine analogue etacizine in patients with heart failure.

The purpose of the study was to compare the haemodynamic effect of new antiarrhythmic preparations - ethmozine and its diethylamine analogue etacizine in 22 patients with heart failure (HF), stage IIa, of different etiology. The patients were given for one week ethmozine and then again for one week etacizine, during which periods they were followed echocardiographically, with pressure measurement in the pulmonary artery (PAP) and in the right atrium (RAP). Ethmozine in a daily dosis of 600-800 mg did not induce changes in left ventricular dimensions, percentual shortening of the anteroposterior left ventricular dimension (% delta S), in PAP, RAP, arterial pressure and heart rate. With application of etacizine in a dose of 150-200 mg/day, a clinically insignificant decrease was observed in % delta S (by 19.7%; p less than 0.05), which was not accompanied by a more marked augmentation of left ventricular dimensions, PAP, RAP or an intensification of clinical signs of heart failure. In spite of this, on administration of etacizine to patients with HF it is necessary to control haemodynamics, the most suitable method for this being echocardiography.