[Venous digital subtraction angiography of the left ventricle in comparison with conventional angiography]

In 42 patients with coronary heart disease within a left heart catheterization by means of coronarography and conventional angiocardiography in each case before and after GTN digital subtraction angiographies of the left ventricle were performed with central venous injection of 20 ml visotrast with a flow of 16-18 ml/s. A DVI2-CV system of the firm Philips served as investigation device. In general between the angiocardiography and the digital subtraction angiographies the following results were obtained for EF 0.81, EDV 0.71, and ESV 0.88. When evaluating only the finally examined 22 patients the correlations improve for all parameters (EF: 0.89, EDV: 0.82, ESV: 0.90). Furthermore is was shown that the volumes are underestimated by 8-10%. The quantification of the regional movement of the wall according to the radial axis method did not results in any significant differences between the digital subtraction angiographies and the angiocardiography. The effects of GTN on the global and regional functional parameters appear somewhat more distinct in the digital subtraction angiographies than in the angiocardiography and are partly significant only in the first one. The influence of the experience of the investigator, the cardial state of the patient and other influential factors on the quality of the digital subtraction angiocardiographies are described and discussed. Therefore we regard the digital subtraction angiography as method of choice in indications to right heart catheterization without coronary angiography.