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(Circulation. 1967;35:158.)
© 1967 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Correlation of Vectorcardiographic Criteria for Myocardial Infarction with Autopsy Findings

ROLF M. GUNNAR M.S., M.D.¹; RAYMOND J. PIETRAS M.D.¹; JORGE BLACKALLER M.D.¹; STEWART E. DADMUN M.D.¹; PAUL B. SZANTO M.D.¹; JOHN R. TOBIN JR. M.S., M.D.¹

¹ From the Departments of Adult Cardiology and Pathology and the Hektoen Institute for Medical Research of the Cook County Hospital, the Department of Medicine of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and the Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois.

One hundred eight patients who had had vectorcardiograms and electrocardiograms recorded were followed to autopsy, and their hearts were carefully studied postmortem. Vectorcardiographic criteria previously proposed using the Frank corrected lead system were tested against the anatomic findings. These criteria correctly predicted the presence of infarction in 49 (92%) of 53 hearts and correctly localized the infarct in 39 (74%). In four hearts (8%) infarction could not be identified. In 18 (32%) of 55 hearts in which infarcts were not present, these criteria falsely indicated infarction. The reasons for the false positive predictions are discussed. The criteria tested will prove useful in the diagnoses and localizations of myocardial infarcts when the pitfalls of deformities of the vectorcardiogram produced by ventricular hypertrophy and bundle-branch block are avoided.

Key Words: Infarct localization • Amyloidosis • Cardiac hypertrophy and infarction

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