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Estimation of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Semiautomated Edge Detection
Byron F. Vandenberg1, Hiram Cardona, James G. Miller
1Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants, P.O. Box 19420, Springfield, IL 62704.
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|February 15, 2001
Summary
Semiautomated acoustic quantification (AQ) offers a fast, on-line method for estimating left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction from echocardiograms. This technique shows strong correlation with manual tracing, making it promising for evaluating systolic function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Traditional 2D echocardiography requires time-consuming manual tracing for LV volume and ejection fraction analysis.
- On-line estimation using semiautomated systems like acoustic quantification (AQ) is available but lacks extensive comparative data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare LV volumes and ejection fraction derived from on-line AQ with off-line manual tracing of conventional 2D echocardiograms.
- To assess the feasibility of AQ for rapid systolic function evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiograms from 48 patients were analyzed using both on-line AQ and off-line manual tracing (method of discs, area-length, modified ellipsoid model).
- Analysis focused on views with >=75% endocardial visualization.
- Correlation coefficients were calculated for LV volumes and ejection fraction.
Main Results:
- On-line AQ demonstrated a very strong linear association with off-line manual tracing for end-diastolic and end-systolic LV volumes (r=0.96-0.99).
- Ejection fraction correlations were also strong (r=0.90-0.96).
- AQ underestimated LV volumes from apical views, but this consistent error allowed for similar ejection fraction measurements.
Conclusions:
- Semiautomated AQ is a promising method for noninvasive systolic function evaluation.
- The strong correlation suggests AQ can reliably estimate LV volumes and ejection fraction in selected patients.
- AQ offers a faster alternative to manual tracing for echocardiographic analysis.