J Korean Soc Hypertens.  2010 Mar;16(1):1-7.

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Geometric Patterns

• Sohn IS
• Kim CJ

Abstract

Hypertension is causally related to adverse cardiac structural changes such as left atrial enlargement and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy. Different morphologic cardiac adaptations to high blood pressure have been characterized according to the relative wall thickness (RWT : the ratio of the wall thickness to the chamber diameter) and the LV mass. These structural changes may affect the systolic and diastolic function in patients with essential hypertension. The LV geometry has been classified into 4 categories based on whether the LV mass is normal or increased and whether the LV RWT is normal or increased: normal, concentric remodeling (a normal LV mass with an increased RWT), eccentric hypertrophy (an increased LV mass with a normal RWT) and concentric hypertrophy (an increased LV mass and an increased RWT). In this review, we discuss the patterns of LV hypertrophy and the geometry along with its clinical implications, and we briefly present the ventricular-vascular coupling as related to LV hypertrophy.

Keyword

Hypertension; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Geometry

MeSH Terms

Humans
Hypertension
Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular