Ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction increase mortality and morbidity. Two-dimensional echocardiography in acute myocardial infarction provides a useful diagnostic tool for evaluation of ventricular remodeling. The aims of this study were to verify whether follow-up two-dimensional echocardiography could detect ventricular enlargement after acute myocardial infarction and to find early echocardiographic predictors and clinical charateristics of ventricular enlargement.

Two-dimensional echocardiography was done prospectively at 2 week, 3 month, and 6 month after the first Q-wave acute myocardial infarction in 18 patients. The control group was 11 patients of a normal chest roentgenogram and echocardiogram who were studied for chest pain or arrhythmia. The patients were divided by the mean value of the control group left ventricular end-diastolic volume index(LVEDVI) 56.8ml/m². The group A was more than 60ml/m²(the control group LVEDVI 56.8ml/m²) and the group B was less than 60ml/m² of LVEDVI at 2 week post myocardial infarction. The left vantricular volume was measured by the modified disk method at the apical four chamber view. The wall motion abnormality of left ventricle was examined by the recommendation of the American Society of Echcardiography.

The left vntricular end-diastolic volume and the left ventricular end-systolic volume were enlarged after 3 month of acute myocardial infarction in the group A compare with those of the control group. There was no ventricular enlargement during 6 month after myocardial infarction in the group B. The frequency of ventricular enlargement was increased in anterior myocardial infarction. There was no difference in left ventricular ejection fraction at 2 week post myocardial infarction between the group A(51.4±15.7%) and the group B(50.8±10.3%). The wall motion score index more than 1.5 at 2 week post myocardial infarction means the enlarged LVEDVI more than 60ml/m² and the group of ventricular enlargement.

The left ventricular enlargement could be diagnosed by the follow-up two-dimensional echocardiography in acute myocardial infarction. The echocardiographic early predictors of ventricular enlagement were the left ventricular end-diastolic volume greater than 60ml/m² and increased wall motion score index more than 1.5 at 2 week post myocardial infarstion. The anterior myocardial infarction was the electrocardiographic predictor of ventricular dilatation. Therefore these early predictors could identify the patients of ventricular enlargement and these patients could be a candidate of follow-up echocardiography and of a specific treatment for limiting ventricular remodeling.