This echocardiogram shows the inferoposterior wall of the left ventricle and interventricular septum. The aortic root, left atrium, right ventricle and mitral and aortic valves are also seen. In the real-time study that follows, note the severe hypokinesis, that is, the markedly reduced motion of the inferoposterior wall compared to the normal motion of the interventricular septum. This is characteristic of an inferior wall myocardial infarction and may persist for several weeks post reperfusion before improving. Also note that overall left ventricular function is well preserved. The mitral and aortic leaflets are normal and there is no evidence of pericardial effusion. Other views and a Doppler showed no evidence of a septal defect or mitral regurgitation.
Another patient
The 2-dimensional echocardiogram that follows is from another patient who has mitral regurgitation as a complication of myocardial infarction.
Inferior MI + MR - color flow
This is a still-frame of a color flow Doppler image from the parasternal long axis view from a patient with an inferior wall myocardial infarction and with mitral regurgitation due most likely to papillary muscle dysfunction. It shows the inferior wall and septum of the left ventricle. The right ventricle, left atrium, aorta and the mitral valve are well seen. The turqouise mosaic color pattern represents the regurgitant jet of mitral regurgitation in the left atrium. It is colored blue because it is moving away from the transducer. Since the jet occupies one third of the left atrium, the regurgitation is of mild to moderate degree. In the real-time study that follow, note the markedly reduced motion of the inferior wall.