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To explore the pathogenesis of the third heart sound (S3), left ventricular hemodynamics in early diastole were studied during catheterization in normal adults without S3S (group I, n = 12) and in cardiac patients with S3S as the result of severe mitral regurgitation (group II, n = 11), dilated cardiomyopathy (group III, n = 24) or restricted left ventricular filling (group IV, n = 4). The height and steepness of the rise in left ventricular pressure after minimum diastolic pressure (the so-called rapid filling wave), maximum dV/dt, and the time constant of fall in isovolumetric pressure were measured. The completeness of relaxation was evaluated from the number of time constants elapsed at the time of minimum diastolic pressure. Pressure-volume data were fitted to simple elastic and viscoelastic models incorporating inflow rate into the equation. In all patients with S3S a significantly higher and steeper rapid filling wave was found than in normal adults. Maximum dV/dt was significantly greater in group II (1084.9 +/- 416 ml/sec; mean +/- SD) than in the other groups (463.9 +/- 177.1 ml/sec in group I, 448.8 +/- 134.0 ml/sec in group III, and 709.9 +/- 226.8 ml/sec in group IV). No significant differences in left ventricular chamber elastic properties in the different groups were found. However, intrapatient comparisons of the results of the use of elastic and viscoelastic equations revealed a significantly better curve fit (r = .930 vs .968, p less than .005) and a much higher viscous constant for group III. Similar results were found in group IV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Werf et al. (Fri,) studied this question.