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Wall Thickening Vs. Wall Motion Analysis

Thickening of the heart walls can occur for many reasons, and in persons of all age groups and every state of health. In general, it produces abnormal changes in the heart muscles called cardiomyopathy, of which there are three basic types. Cardiomyopathy is most accurately diagnosed and evaluated by a test that goes by many names, including gated nuclear angiogram, nuclear stress test and MUGA scan, but is known most simply as a wall motion study.

  1. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

    • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a hereditary condition that causes overdevelopment and consequent stiffness of the muscular walls of the heart, and results in lessened blood flow through the heart. It is famous for causing sudden, unexpected death in young athletes in superb health and physical condition, and is said to be the most common cause of death in the under-30 age group. It can, however, affect persons of any age, including the unborn.

    Dilated Cardiomyopathy

    • Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type, and results in the opposite of wall thickening; the heart muscle becomes flabby and weak and cannot push the blood through the heart properly. The actual cause is not always known, but it can be caused by a viral infection. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and alcoholism have also been implicated.

    Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

    • Restrictive cardiomyopathy is the least common type, and is generally seen in the elderly. Aging muscle loses elasticity and the pumping action of the heart becomes less efficient. Presenting symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath and swelling of the hands and feet.

    Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

    • LVH is a thickening of the wall of the heart's main pump sending blood out to the body. This is frequently a response to high blood pressure, which overworks the muscle. It is diagnosed by echocardiography, a noninvasive test that bounces sound waves off the heart and measures the thickness of the walls. The thickening is not always permanent and usually decreases when the blood pressure is controlled and the muscle is no longer so heavily stressed.

    Wall Motion Studies

    • The current gold standard in noninvasive cardiac evaluation is a wall motion study. This is done by injecting a harmless radioactive substance into a vein, where it attaches to the red blood cells. This ID tag allows a special camera to take motion pictures of the blood as it passes through the heart. These films are examined and evaluated by a specially trained cardiologist, who then supplies a report on the problems and problem areas found.

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