Reliability of Vectorcardiography in Assessing the Severity of Congenital Aortic Stenosis

Abstract

In order to evaluate the reliability of certain recommended Frank-lead system vector measurements in assessing the severity of congenital aortic stenosis, 28 patients with congenital valcular aortic stenosis and 23 normal individuals were studied. The maximal spatial vectors and the sum of certain other vector measurements were correlated with the peak left ventricular systolic pressure. No significant relationship was found. There was a wide range of variation in the measurements both in patients with aortic stenosis and in normal individuals with a wide overlap. These vector measurements were no more accurate than electrocardiographic criteria and permit only a crude estimation of the severity of aortic stenosis.