Volumetric cardiac quantification by using 3D dual-phase whole-heart MR imaging

This study was approved by the local institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all volunteers and patients. The purpose of the study was to assess ventricular volumes by using three-dimensional (3D) whole-heart data sets acquired during end-systolic and end-diastolic phases during one free-breathing magnetic resonance imaging examination. In five healthy volunteers and 10 patients, 3D dual cardiac phase data sets, short-axis multisection breath-hold images, and through-plane flow images of the great vessels were acquired. Within these data sets, statistic analyses were performed to compare stroke, end-systolic, and end-diastolic volumes for the left ventricle (LV) and the right ventricle (RV). Results showed that the breath-hold multisection approach, the flow measurement approach, and the new dual-phase 3D approach delivered comparable results for quantification of cardiac volumes and function. High correlation values greater than 0.95 were found when these methods were compared, and no significant differences were recognized for stroke, end-systolic, or end-diastolic volumes in either the LV or the RV.