Exercise hemodynamics of pulmonary valvular stenosis. Study of 64 children

Sixty-four children with pulmonary stenosis were studied by cardiac catheterization both at rest and on exercise. Whereas milder degrees of stenosis were associated with normal right ventricular function, more severe stenosis was associated with fixed stroke index and elevated RVEDP, and suboptimal response of cardiac index. These changes result from altered right ventricular compliance. In several the compliance abnormality was related to myocardial hypertrophy, whereas in four patients it was most likely caused by myocardial fibrosis.