Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2004; 52(5): 287-292
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-821165
Original Cardiovascular

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Determination of the Coronary Flow Reserve of the LAD in Patients with HOCM Using the Intracoronary Doppler Catheter[*]

J. Litmathe1 , D. Stosch1 , H. G. Klues2 , U. Boeken1 , B. Korbmacher1 , E. Gams1
  • 1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • 2Department of Cardiology/Angiology, Center of Internal Medicine, Klinikum Krefeld, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received February 16, 2004

Publication Date:
06 October 2004 (online)

Abstract

Objective: Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is still a serious problem that is characterized by an increasing hypertrophy of the cardiac muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis whether in HOCM the coronary flow reserve in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is influenced by pharmacologic stimulation or stimulation using a pacemaker. Patients and Methods: The study was carried out in 15 patients (6 male, 9 female) with the typical echocardiographic signs of HOCM without coronary artery disease. Using an intracoronary Doppler catheter the average peak velocity and the absolute coronary flow reserve were determined in the proximal, medial and distal part of the LAD under influence of Papaverine, Substance P and under pacemaker stimulation. The coronary square plane was calculated angiographically under the influence of Substance P. Moreover, the retrograde flow was studied and the coherence between the increase of the coronary square plane and the coronary flow reserve were investigated. For statistical analysis the mean value, the standard error of the mean, Spearman's correlation coefficient and the t-test were calculated. Results: Under pharmacologic stimulation higher values in the average peak velocity were observed compared to pacemaker stimulation. A retrograde flow was observed in 8 out of 10 patients. The coronary flow reserve was higher under pharmacologic influence than under pacemaker stimulation. A coherence between the increase of the coronary square plane and the coronary flow reserve was not found. Conclusions: So far, from the published data concerning the characteristics of coronary flow in HOCM patients, only the retrograde flow was reproducible in our patient group. However, a decrease of the coronary flow reserve compared to a healthy control group of the literature could not be observed. Nevertheless ischemia in the subordinate vessels and on the base of microcirculation cannot be excluded.

1 The results of this paper were presented in part during the 4th joint meeting of the Austrian, Swiss, and German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Hamburg, Germany, February 15 - 18, 2004

References

  • 1 Maisch B. Inflammatoric heart diseases. Classen, Diehl, Kochsiek Internal Medicine. München, Wien, Baltimore; Urban & Schwarzenberg 1994: 1156-1186 [article in German]
  • 2 Maisch B. Devision of the cardiomyopathies following the WHO/ISFC Task Force - More questions than answers?.  Med Klinik. 1998;  93 199-209 [article in German]
  • 3 Schulte H D, Gramsch-Zabel H, Schwartzkopff B, Gams E. Hypertrophic cardiomypathy (HCM). Surgical versus drug therapy.  Z Kardiol. 1999;  88 163-172
  • 4 Gleichmann U, Seggewiss H. Clinic and therapy of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Med Klinik. 1998;  93 260-267 [article in German]
  • 5 Wigle E D, Rakowski H, Kimball B P, Williams W G. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Clinical spectrum and treatment.  Circulation. 1995;  92 1680-1692
  • 6 Spirito P, Seidman C E, McKenna W J, Maron B J. The management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  N Engl J Med. 1997;  336 775-785
  • 7 Seggewiss H, Gleichmann U, Koerfer R. Hypertrophe obstruktive Kardiomyopathie. Hombach V Interventionelle Kardiologie, Angiologie und Kardiovaskularchirurgie. Stuttgart, New-York; Schattauer 2001: 410-418 [article in German]
  • 8 Edwards G, Feletou M, Gardener M J. et al . Further investigations into the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing effects of bradykinin and substance P in porcine coronary artery.  Brit J Pharmacol. 2001;  133 1145-1153
  • 9 Haberer T, Hess O M, Jenni R, Krayenbühl H P. Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: Spontaneous course in comparison to long-term therapy with propanolol and verapamil.  Z Kardiol. 1983;  72 487-493
  • 10 Kaltenbach M, Hopf R, Kober G, Bussmann W D. et al . Treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with verapamil.  Br Heart J. 1979;  42 35-42
  • 11 Hongo M, Nakatsuka T, Takenaka H, Tanaka M. et al . Effects of intravenous disopyramide on coronary hemodynamics and vasodilator reserve in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.  Cardiology. 1996;  87 6-11
  • 12 Gietzen F, Leuner C, Gerenkamp T, Kuhn H. Catheter-interventional therapy of the hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy using alcohol ablation of the first septal branch of the left coronary artery.  Z Kardiol. 1996;  85 3
  • 13 Sigwart U. Non-surgical myocardial reduction of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.  Lancet. 1995;  346 211-214
  • 14 Kuhn H, Gietzen F, Leuner C, Gerenkamp T. Induction of subaortic ischemia to reduce obstruction in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.  Eur Heart J. 1997;  18 846-851
  • 15 Schoendube F A, Klues H G, Reith S, Flachskampf G. et al . Long-term clinical and echocardiographic follow-up after surgical correction of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy with extended myectomy and reconstruction of the subvalvular mitral apparatus.  Circulation. 1995;  92 122-127
  • 16 Lorenzoni R, Gistri R, Cecchi F, Olivotto I, Chiriatti G. et al . Coronary vasodilator reserve is impaired in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular dysfunction.  Am Heart J. 1998;  136 972-981
  • 17 Seiler C, Fleisch M, Kaufmann U, Meier B. Intracoronary determinations of pressure and velocity.  Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax. 1997;  86 649-654 [article in German]
  • 18 Kelm M, Rath J, Politz B, Strauer B E. Relevance and methods for determination of the coronary flow reserve.  Z Kardiol. 1998;  87 74-79
  • 19 Negishi K, Handa S, Asakura Y, Iwanaga S. et al . Coronary flow characteristics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - A study with Doppler catheter.  Kokyu To Junkan. 1991;  39 1021-1027
  • 20 Terashima S, Nakamura T, Furukawa K, Kawata K. et al . A prominent retrograde flow in coronary artery in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Kokyu To Junkan. 1991;  39 169-174
  • 21 Kyriakidis M K, Dernellis J M, Androulakis A E, Kelepeshis G A. et al . Changes in coronary blood flow velocity profile and relative coronary flow reserve in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.  Circulation. 1997;  96 834-841
  • 22 Akasaka T, Yoshikawa J, Yoshida K, Maeda K. et al . Phasic coronary flow characteristics in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A study by coronary Doppler catheter.  J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1994;  7 9-19
  • 23 Takeuchi M, Nohtomi Y, Kuroiwa A. Does coronary flow reserve assessed by blood flow velocity analysis reflect absolute coronary flow reserve?.  Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn. 1996;  38 251-254
  • 24 Memmola C, Iliceto S, Napoli V F, Cavallari D. et al . Coronary flow dynamics and reserve assessed by transesophageal echocardiography in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Am J Cardiol. 1994;  74 1147-1151

1 The results of this paper were presented in part during the 4th joint meeting of the Austrian, Swiss, and German Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Hamburg, Germany, February 15 - 18, 2004

Dr. med. J. Litmathe

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf

Moorenstraße 5

40225 Düsseldorf

Germany

Phone: + 492118118331

Fax: + 49 21 18 11 83 33

Email: litmathe@med.uni-duesseldorf.de