Multi-slice computer tomography of left ventricular function with automated analysis software in comparison with...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Medical diagnostics
• Radiology

Background:

• Accurate assessment of left ventricular (LV) function and volumes is crucial for managing coronary artery disease.
• Invasive left ventriculography is the gold standard but carries risks.
• Non-invasive imaging modalities are sought to provide reliable LV assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) for assessing LV volumetric and functional parameters.
• To compare MSCT-derived parameters with invasive left ventriculography using automated analysis software.

Main Methods:

• 145 patients with suspected coronary artery disease underwent 16-channel MSCT.
• LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and ejection fraction were calculated using automated software.
• Conventional left ventriculography was performed within 24 hours for comparison.

Main Results:

• MSCT showed a very good correlation with left ventriculography for LV ejection fraction (r=0.79, p<0.001).
• MSCT had acceptable limits of agreement for ejection fraction (+/-9.2%) without systematic errors.
• MSCT demonstrated acceptable correlation for end-systolic volumes (r=0.74) but poor correlation for end-diastolic volumes (r=0.41).

Conclusions:

• Automated MSCT analysis provides accurate assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction.
• MSCT should not be used for ventricular volume estimations due to biased results.
• MSCT with automated software shows promise for non-invasive LV functional assessment.