Dilated Left Ventricle

[Len168]

I am 32 years old single female and the 2D Echo revealed that I have a dilated left ventricle (5.7). The specific finding is as follows: dilated left ventricle with hypokinesia of all left ventricle segments except the inferolateral left ventricular free wall B-M.

The other results are as follows: EF - 41%; FS - 20%; normal left atrial, right atrial, and right ventricular dimensions; thickened aortic cusps without restriction of motion; thickened mitral valve leaflets; structurally normal tricuspid valve and pulmonic valve with good opening and closing motion; normal main pulmonary artery and aortic root dimensions; no pericardial effusion noted mild tricuspid regurgitation; mild pulmonic regurgitation; and estimated pulmonary artery pressure at 28 mmHg by TRJ.

I sometimes feel that I palpitate (especially when I am stressed out) and my blood pressure is most of the time 90/60.

Should I be be concerned about this result or is it common? The doctor suggested that I undergo angiogram but I feel that it is an invasive test. Are there other tests that can reveal the cause and severity of my dilated left ventricle?

[kenkeith]

Segmented LV wall motion abnormalities (hypokinesis) are characteristics of myocardial infarction.  The damaged myocyte heart cells inhibit the contractilty of the heart chamber thereby reducing EF (ejection fraction...amount of blood pumped into circulation with each heartbeat...normal is 55 to 75%).

FS is "fractional shortening":  It differs from EF (calculations are associated with chamber volume/capacity before and after contractility) in that an enlarged LV functioning is associated with the calculation of the dimensions (before and after contractility)  of heart chambers.  Normal range: above 30% is considered normal, 26 to 30% represents a mild decrease in ejection fraction.

An angiogram is to determine if the underlying cause for less than normal EF and FS is associated with ischemia (blocked coronary vessels).  It appears the valves can be ruled out as the underlying cause (an echo is the best test for valve integrity and functionality) as trivial and mild are considered insiginificant..

An angiogram is a test that injects a contrast dye into the blood stream and takes images of heart vessel blood flow. An interventional angiogram is with a cath, a CT scan 64 slice angiogram is almost as good as a cath and can be a test of choice.  

There should be some concern as the condition if not treated can develop into heart failure, arrhythmia, etc.