To determine whether real-time two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) can estimate the extent of myocardial involvement in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), regional wall motion on serial short-axis 2-D echo recordings was analyzed and the summed scores were compared with estimates of infarct involvement by thallium-201 reperfusion (Tl) and technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) scintigraphy. Thirty-two consecutive male patients admitted with their first MI were studied; 10 patients had anterior, 16 had inferior and six had subendocardial MIs. Two patients were technically unsuitable for 2-D echo studies. Twenty patients had Tl scintigrams and 29 had 99MTc-PYP scintigrams. Summed 2-D echo scores correlated closely with estimates of infarct involvement by Tl (r = 0.87) and with estimates of infarct size by 99mTc-PYP (r = 0.74). The location of MI by 2-D echo agreed with the electrocardiographic location in 26 of 29 patients; discrepancies occurred in one inferior and two subendocardial MIs. Predischarge 2-D echo failed to identify extension of transmural infarction. However, two patients whose subendocardial MIs progressed to transmural MIs were identified. This study shows that 2-D echo is a valid method for the early estimation of the extent of myocardial involvement in patients with acute MI, especially transmural MIs. In particular, 2-D echo correlates closely with Tl reperfusion scintigraphy because both detect areas of ischemia and infarction.