The Full Form of RWMA is‍ Regional Wall Motion Abnormalities.

Regional wall motion abnormalities on echocardiography are often tied to the presence of underlying ischemic heart disease. A detailed 17 segment analysis of each aspect of the cardia allows for the determination of the presence of hypokinesis, akinesis, dyskinesis, and other cardiac structural abnormalities. When evaluating regional wall motion abnormalities, one often relies on their experience in determining its presence. This “visual” estimate is commonly utilized and is subjective, though there are scoring systems that allow for a more structured qualitative assessment. For example, assessing delayed cardiac contraction in the ejection phase (tardokinesis) can be difficult to perform through visual assessment. Ischemic wall motion abnormalities are restricted to some particular segments such as inferior or anterior and show typical akinesia, hypokinesia, or dyskinesia.

Once a regional wall motion abnormality is detected, it is not uncommon for a multitude of investigations to follow. However, it is often forgotten that regional wall motion abnormalities are not exclusive to ischemia, and can be encountered in multiple clinical conditions. Newer imaging modalities allow for a more detailed assessment, though results must be taken in the context of clinical presentation.

This article details the common nonischemic etiologies of regional wall motion abnormalities and the unique echocardiographic presentations that might be encountered.