• M Suwa and T Ito.
• Third Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Daigaku-cho 2-7, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan.
• J Cardiol. 2001 Jan 1;37 Suppl 1:103-7.

Background And ObjectivesAnalysis of transmitral flow with Doppler echocardiography can currently evaluate left ventricular diastolic function noninvasively and easily. In addition, measurement of pulmonary venous flow and left atrial appendage flow clarifies not only left ventricular diastolic function but also left atrial systolic function in patients with left ventricular systolic failure and diastolic failure.Methods And ResultsDoppler echocardiography was used to investigate the differences in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. In patients with systolic heart failure, left atrial dysfunction due to afterload mismatch to the left ventricle was related to the reduction of transmitral atrial filling wave in a restrictive pattern. In contrast, in patients with diastolic heart failure, transmitral flow seldom indicated a restrictive pattern because left atrial systolic function was preserved even with high pulmonary wedge pressure.ConclusionsLeft ventricular diastolic dysfunction is somewhat distinct between patients with left ventricular systolic failure and patients with left ventricular diastolic failure. Atrial reversal flow in pulmonary vein has the potential to predict left ventricular filling pressure in patients with diastolic failure.

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