[Three-dimensional analysis of the regional contractility of the normal and the cardiomyopathic left ventricle using cine-magnetic resonance imaging].

: The left ventricular regional contractile pattern, global function and mass of normal subjects and patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy was compared using cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a short-axis imaging plane. Left ventricular ejection fraction and mass were 64.3 +/- 2.5% and 115 +/- 10 g in normal hearts and 23.5 +/- 3.1% and 194 +/- 20 g in dilated cardiomyopathic hearts (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.002). Left ventricular end-diastolic wall thickness was homogeneous in normal hearts except for the posterior wall at the basal level, which was significantly thinner compared to the anterolateral wall and the septum (p less than 0.02). End-diastolic wall thickness in the cardiomyopathic group was significantly more heterogeneous and was thinner at the apical compared to the basal level (p less than 0.02) as well as in the segment of the posterior compared to the anterolateral and septal wall (p less than 0.005 and p less than 0.03). In normal hearts, left ventricular end-systolic wall thickness was progressively greater from base to apex for the anterolateral (p less than 0.01) and posterior wall (p less than 0.02) and the septum (p less than 0.02). Such a uniform gradient of end-systolic wall thickness was not present in hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy. It was even reversed for the anterolateral wall with decreasing thickness from base to apex (p less than 0.03). Left ventricular mean systolic wall thickening increased progressively from base to apex (p less than 0.005) in normal hearts, whereas there was no significant gradient from base to apex in hearts with dilated cardiomyopathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)