Part I: abnormal patterns and physiological variations in magnetocardiograms.

Summary Magnetocardiograms (MCGs) of six subjects with representative cardiac abnormalities and of one well-studied normal subject are compared with the 12-lead ECGs and VCGs of these subjects. The MCGs are recordings of the component of the magnetic vector which is normal to the skin, measured across the chest on a 5 cm×5 am grid; an example is also presented of a sequence of instantaneous MCG maps. The heart abnormalities include myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, intraventricular conduction disturbances, and ventricular hypertrophy. The various MCG maps of the normal subject show MCG changes as a result of changes in body morphology (loss of weight), changes in the subject's position during recording, and changes as a result of exercise. They are presented as a basis for understanding some of the variability of MCG maps.