In the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia continuous hemodynamic monitoring may contribute to detection of transient ischemia, to definition of location and to elimination of its pathogenesis, and to characterization of hemodynamic response to ischemia. It can be helpful in investigating the significance of negligible, non specific and/or short-lasting electrocardiographic changes accompanying typical anginal symptoms. Simultaneous right ventricular and left ventricular pressure monitoring gives information regarding biventricular interaction during episodes of transient ischemia: an early left ventricular dysfunction, with or without a late right ventricular impairment, a selective right dysfunction, and a simultaneous left ventricular and right ventricular impairment all represent the hemodynamic patterns associated with left, right and biventricular ischemia respectively. Monitoring of hemodynamic parameters related to myocardial oxygen consumption and the study of their changes preceding the onset of ischemia during both spontaneous and provoked episodes of ischemia, may help in identifying whether functional or organic factors or both are involved in the pathogenesis of transient ischemia in individual patients. Two principal hemodynamic patterns appear to be associated with transient ischemia: a) left ventricular and/or right ventricular impairment, usually beginning shortly before the onset of electrocardiographic changes, followed by a rapid recovery and often an overshooting, b) a sudden and sustained increase in systolic pressure and heart rate, simultaneous with the onset of ST-T changes. In both cases, the 'excitatory' pattern appears to be unrelated to pain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)