Day 5 body surface map and radionuclide angiographic patterns were compared among 56 patients with first non-Q-wave or Q-wave acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Three radionuclide angiographic patterns were recognized in patients with non-Q infarction: no wall motion abnormalities (n = 8), single-segment wall motion abnormalities (n = 10) and multiple-segment wall motion abnormalities (n = 9). In contrast, only 2 radionuclide angiographic patterns were identified in patients with Q-wave infarction: multiple-segment wall motion abnormalities (n = 25) and single-segment wall motion abnormalities (n = 4). The Q-wave distributions of 14 of 18 patients with non-Q infarction with 0 or 1 wall motion abnormalities were normal; 2 patients had "missed" anterior; 1 patient had inferior; and 1 had posterior AMI patterns. Of 9 patients with non-Q infarction who had multiple-segment wall motion abnormalities, 8 had infarct Q waves on the posterior torso. Q-wave patterns in patients with anterior (n = 17) and inferior (n = 12) Q-wave infarctions were typical and homogeneous for each group. Quantitative analysis of minimum Q-zone integral, sigma Q-wave integrals, ST-integral maximum, wall motion abnormality score and ejection fraction revealed no differences between patients with non-Q-wave and those with inferior Q-wave infarction. In contrast, patients with anterior AMI had significantly more abnormal values of all variables than either of the other groups. Overall, the data support the concept of non-Q-wave AMI as a distinct, if heterogeneous, pathophysiologic entity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)