Value of Restrictive Mitral Inflow Pattern as a Predictor of Myocardial Viability

Background: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) a restrictive mitral inflow pattern successfully predicts clinical outcome. The impact of myocardial viability on the mitral inflow velocities, however, is unknown.Objective: The aim of the study is to determine how much restrictive mitral inflow pattern successfully predicts lack of viable myocardium after a first myocardial infarction.Patients and methods: This study included 40 patients (38 males and 2 females) with age ranging from 33 to 62 years with mean value of (50.77±8.99years). The patients with a first AMI underwent two-dimensional, Doppler and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Patients were classified into two groups based on Doppler measurement of left ventricular filling: a restrictive group (14 patients), and a non-restrictive group (26 patients).Results: In the non-restrictive group, myocardial viability at DSE was found in 14 (53.8%) patients, while in the restrictive group only four (28.5%) patients showed contractile reserve (p<0.05).Conclusion: Our study shows a high correlation between mitral deceleration time and the presence of viable myocardium detected by DSE in patients with a first AMI undergoing conservative therapy.