In view of the fact that stable echocardiograms are easily obtained during atrial pacing, pacing echocardiography was performed to evaluate the usefulness for detecting regional wall motion abnormalities during pacing-induced ischemia and to investigate the relationship between changes in the R wave and left ventricular dimension. The patients were 12 cases of angina pectoris (10 of coronary artery disease; CAD, and 2 of coronary patent aortic valvular disease; AVD) and 6 control cases. Simultaneous recording of two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiograms and electrocardiograms was done before, during and after the atrial pacing at increasing heart rate until angina appeared or the heart rate of at least 140/min was reached. In 12 angina cases, angina and ST depression were induced in 10 and 11, respectively. Excursion of the interventricular septum (IVS) decreased during pacing-induced ischemia in 6 of 7 CAD cases, in which the left anterior descending coronary artery was significantly stenosed (more than 75%). Excursion of the left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) decreased during pacing-induced ischemia in 4 of 7 CAD cases, in which the vessels giving rise to posterior descending coronary artery were significantly stenosed (more than 75%). In 2 AVD cases, excursion of both IVS and LVPW decreased during ischemia. Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) increased in only 2 angina cases, although R wave amplitude increased in 6 angina cases.