The electrocardiographic pattern of right ventricular hypertrophy in mitral valve disease.

The electrocardiograms in 32 patients with mitral valve disease have been compared with the pulmonary resistances, the pulmonary artery pressures, and the size of the mitral valve orifice. In patients with pure stenosis if the electrocardiogram showed the pattern of right ventricular hyper-trophy the total pulmonary resistance was usually 1000 dynes seconds cm.-5 or greater. If mitral insufficiency and/or aortic valve lesions were present in addition to mitral stenosis the total pulmonary resistance often exceeded 1000 dynes seconds cm.-5 without right ventricular hypertrophy being evident in the electrocardiogram.