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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
marginal concentric left ventricular hypertrophy
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marginal concentric left ventricular hypertrophy
by hankstar, Jul 17, 2001 12:00AM
I recently visited a cardiologist in Miami, Florida after
having severe intermittent chest pain over the past couple of
years. I also suffer from pac's and pvc's and bouts of fast heartrate. I had a stress test and holter monitor done in 1987,
everthing was completely normal and was assured not worry.
After having a severe bout of pvc's/pac's in 1998, my doctor
put me on atenolol 25mg twice daily which I must admit controlled
the palpitations so well I almost feel cured.
I don't suffer the side effects of most beta blockers for which
I am grateful, mostly only nightmares. I decided to visit a cardiologist after suffering from severe attacks of chest pain,
which my doctor diagnosed as costachondritis.
The cardiologist did an EKG and an echocardiogram after I told
him of my symtoms. He said my symtoms were not anginal and that
my ekg and echo were normal besides showing marginal concentric
left ventricular hypertrophy which was probably due to mild hpertension, usually 140/90 in the dr. office and 120/75 at home.
I visited my internist who visits where i live every 4 months
and gave a copy my report from the cardiologist. He did an ekg
and said it showed no signs of hypertrophy and my report was
essentially normal.
The only other thing that was mentioned in the report was that I had
no frank mitral valve prolapse, but that there was a redundant
pattern of motion of the mitral leaflets.
My question to you, do you think the hpertrophy that I have is of any
clinical signifance or if i should get an repeat echo in another
year and do you thinks the redundant motion of the mitral leaflets could suggest a mild mitral valve prolapse as i do present with most of its symptoms.
Thanks for taking my question and i apologise for length and
detail, also a great thanks for this beautiful forum
Thanks again,
Hank.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-M.D.-CRC, Jul 19, 2001 12:00AM
Dear Hankstar,
Always glad to hear from a 'regular reader' of this forum. A key to understanding test results is to look for certain words in the report. Words like "significant and severe" are "action words", which means something needs to be done. Words like "trivial, marginal, or trace" are "inaction words", Which means things are not exactly normal but nothing needs to be done. I think it does mean that you probably do have some mild hypertension and that the atenolol is a good idea not only from the palpitation standpoint but also from the blood pressure standpoint. The redundant mitral leaflets would also fall into the "inaction column". If you were my patient I would probably wait a few (2-3) years before repeating an echo. In the meantime I would encourage you to continue a healthy diet and lifestyle and follow your blood pressure closely. Best wishes.
Always glad to hear from a 'regular reader' of this forum. A key to understanding test results is to look for certain words in the report. Words like "significant and severe" are "action words", which means something needs to be done. Words like "trivial, marginal, or trace" are "inaction words", Which means things are not exactly normal but nothing needs to be done. I think it does mean that you probably do have some mild hypertension and that the atenolol is a good idea not only from the palpitation standpoint but also from the blood pressure standpoint. The redundant mitral leaflets would also fall into the "inaction column". If you were my patient I would probably wait a few (2-3) years before repeating an echo. In the meantime I would encourage you to continue a healthy diet and lifestyle and follow your blood pressure closely. Best wishes.
