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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Dual-source CT assessment of ventricular function in healthy and infarcted myocardium: an animal study
Andreas H Mahnken1, Philipp Bruners, Christoph M Bornikoel
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. mahnken@rad.rwth-aachen.de
Purpose:
To assess global and regional ventricular function in the presence of myocardial infarction (MI) using cardiac dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in comparison to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
Materials And Methods:
Fourteen pigs (58.6 ± 8.9 kg) were included in this study. In seven animals acute MI was induced by temporary balloon occlusion of the left circumflex artery. Thereafter, DSCT and MR imaging were performed with standardized examination protocols. Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes, ejection fraction (EF), peak filling rate (PFR), and peak ejection rate (PER) as well as LV myocardial mass were calculated. LV wall motion was visually assessed from cine loops. Data was analyzed using Bland-Altman plots, Lin's concordance-correlation coefficient (ρ(c)) and weighted kappa statistics.
Results:
Ventricular volumes and mass as determined by DSCT correlated well with MR imaging. Mean LV-EF was 49.4 ± 16.5% on DSCT and 50.0 ± 16.1% on MR imaging (ρ(c) = 0.9928). The corresponding mean RV-EF results were 45.9 ± 10.6% and 45.8 ± 10.6% (ρ(c) = 0.9969), respectively. Bland-Altman plots revealed no systematic errors, but PER and PFR showed a relevant scattering. Regional wall motion scores agreed in 216/224 myocardial segments (κ = 0.925).
Conclusion:
DSCT permits the reliable assessment of global and regional function in healthy and infarcted myocardium, but is not yet suited for the assessment of dynamic functional parameters like PER and PFR.
