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To evaluate their phase image characteristics, 61 patients with varying left ventricular contraction abnormalities were studied. In 16 normal patients, the left ventricular phase image revealed a homogeneous pattern, a narrow bell-shaped histogram and an orderly spatial progression of phase angle (phi). In 16 patients with segmental abnormalities, the left ventricular phase image showed a region of uniformly delayed phase angle corresponding to the site of segmental abnormality, a discrete secondary histogram peak and a discontinuous, but orderly, spatial progression of phase angle. The mean phase angle (phi) (23.6 +/- 15.7 degrees) and its standard deviation (17.6 +/- 7.2 degrees) differed from the normal group (7.6 +/- 11.1 degrees, p less than 0.002 and 8.9 +/- 2.8 degrees, p less than 0.001). The percent of end-diastolic volume involved in the segmental abnormality, calculated using phase data in 13 of these and in 11 additional patients with a left ventricular aneurysm on ventriculography, correlated well with the percent akinetic segment on scintigraphic (r = 0.78) and angiographic (r = 0.84) study. In 18 patients with generalized abnormalities, the left ventricular phase image revealed multiple regions of inhomogeneous phase angle, a grossly irregular histogram and a disorderly spatial progression of phase angle. The mean phase angle (56.4 +/- 23.9 degrees) and standard deviation (27.3 +/- 7.1 degrees) differed from values in the normal group and from patients with segmental contraction abnormalities (both p less than 0.001). The mean phase angle and its standard deviation in scattered regions with abnormally prolonged phase angle differed significantly from abnormal regions in patients with segmental abnormalities (both p less than 0.001). These patterns of left ventricular phase angle demonstrate characteristics that may help differentiate between ventricles with segmental and generalized contraction abnormalities. Their relation to underlying pathophysiology and potential clinical implications should be considered.