Left ventricular ejection fraction calculated from gated technetium-99-sestamibi SPECT

Area of Science:

• Nuclear cardiology
• Cardiac imaging analysis
• Quantitative cardiovascular assessment

Background:

• Accurate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) calculation is crucial for assessing cardiac function.
• Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) accuracy depends on precise end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) determination.
• Traditional methods for EDV and ESV calculation can be limited by image quality and analysis subjectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of calculating EDV, ESV, and LVEF using the area under the polar graph (APC) method.
• To assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the APC method for LVEF determination from gated single-photon emission computed tomography (GSPECT) images.
• To compare LVEF results obtained by the APC method with conventional planar equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (ERNV).

Main Methods:

• Technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) sestamibi GSPECT and planar ERNV were performed on 15 male subjects.
• LV short-axis slices were reconstructed from GSPECT images.
• LV edge points were determined using the APC method, with areas calculated via polar coordinates, interpolation, and numerical integration.

Main Results:

• The APC method successfully determined LV edges in all 15 patients.
• LVEF calculated using the APC method showed strong correlation with conventional ERNV (r = 0.96).
• The APC method demonstrated good reproducibility for LVEF determination (intra-observer r = 0.99, inter-observer r = 0.99).

Conclusions:

• The APC method enables easy and accurate LVEF determination with minimal mathematical assumptions.
• The interpolation capability of the APC method ensures stable edge detection, even in areas of hypoperfused myocardium.
• The APC method is a reliable tool for quantitative LVEF assessment in GSPECT imaging.