Left ventricular hypertrophy is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease, hypertension or other cardiovasular diseases, and normal health person due to cardiac arrhythmia or coronary microcirculatory insufficiency. According to development of echocardiography, left ventricular mass and the patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy can be measured. Therefore, we tried to classify the left ventricular hypertrophy in coronary artery disease and to differentiate cardiac function and severity of coronary artery disease in these groups.

From September 1993 to August 1995, in 44 cases(23 males, 21 females) without hypertension with normal coronary angiography and 84 cases(62 males, 22 females) without hypertension with coronary artery disease on coronary angiography were compared by two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography.

In normal control group, mean age was 51±11years, and in coronary artery disease group, mean age was 58±10years. Atherosclerotic risk factors showed no significant differences in each groups. LVH patterns in normal control group were 31 cases(70%) of normal left ventricle, 6 cases(14%) concentric remodelling, 2 cases(5%) concentric hypertrophy, and 5 cases(11%) eccentric hypertrophy. In coronary artery disease group, 30 cases(36%) were normal left ventricle, 17 cases(20%) concentric remodelling, 14 cases(17%) concentric hypertrophy, and 23 cases(27%) eccentric hypertrophy.

In this study, concentric and eccentric hypertrophy were more common in coronary artery disease group than normal control group. And comparing to one vessel disease grroup, multi-vessel disease group had more common concentric and eccentric hypertrophy. This result were considered that left ventricular concentric hypertrophy may induce coronary heart disease because more oxygen demand required and fixed coronary circulation, and essentric hypertrophy was due to post-infarct left ventricular remodelling and wall thinning.