The Ballistocardiogram in Mitral Stenosis

Abstract

The ballistocardiograms of 13 of 14 patients with "pure" mitral stenosis were found to show acharacteristic late diastolic and early systolic deformity. The deformity consists of a footward wave which precedes the I wave, often resulting in "doubling" of the I, or fusion with the I, producing a wide, deformed wave. Ballistocardiograms of patients with mitral insufficiency did not consistently show this deformity. Immediately after commissurotomy this abnormality was diminished, but was not completely eliminated. Some possible factors concerned in the genesis of this pattern are discussed.