Lack of ventricular remodeling in non-Q-wave myocardial infarction,

We prospectively examined 45 patients with serial echocardiography to measure left ventricular end-diastolic volume index within 1 week and at 6 weeks after infarction. Left ventricular volume increased in patients with Q-wave infarction but not in those with non-Q or in control patients without recent infarction. Peak creatine phosphokinase levels were greater in Q-wave infarction compared with those in non—Q-wave infarction. There was a strong correlation between the change in the left ventricular end-diastolic index and the peak creatine phosphokinase level. After correcting for infarct size, there was still a difference between the two groups. Our data indicate that ventricular remodeling does not occur in non—Q-wave as opposed to Q-wave infarcts, and this may be related both to the limited amount of myocardial necrosis and to the nontransmural extent of the necrosis.