[Noninvasive evaluation of the left and right ventricular function using magnetic resonance]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Cardiac Anatomy

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging offers unique capabilities for cardiac volume measurement.
• It provides detailed anatomical views and intrinsic contrast between blood and myocardium.
• Assessing ventricular function is crucial for diagnosing and managing various heart conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of the area-length method using MR imaging for ventricular volume and ejection fraction.
• To compare MR imaging measurements against ventriculography across different patient groups.
• To assess MR imaging's accuracy in normal and diseased left and right ventricles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized MR imaging with the area-length method for volumetric analysis.
• Compared MR imaging results with ventriculography in four patient groups.
• Group A: Normal left ventricle; Group B: Dilated hypokinetic left ventricle; Group C: Left ventricle post-myocardial infarction; Group D: Isolated right ventricle pathology.

Main Results:

• Excellent correlations were found between MR and angiographic ejection fractions in all groups (r = 0.79 to 0.98, p < 0.001).
• MR imaging consistently underestimated volumes (telediastolic and telesystolic) in groups A and D due to partial volume effects and cardiac motion.
• Despite underestimation, the high correlations indicate strong reliability.

Conclusions:

• MR imaging, using the area-length method, is a reliable tool for evaluating left and right ventricular function.
• The method demonstrates high accuracy in ejection fraction assessment, comparable to ventriculography.
• MR imaging is suitable for routine clinical examinations of cardiac function.