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Updated: Apr 28, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Consistency of myocardial mass computations as a quality control check on rest and stress left ventricular ejection
Andrew Van Tosh1, Nathaniel Reichek, Barbara Phippen-Nater
1From the *Department of Research, St Francis Hospital, Roslyn; and †Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset and New Hyde Park, NY.
Insights
Left ventricular mass is constant during rest and stress, providing a reliable internal check for left ventricular ejection fraction calculations in gated Rb PET/CT imaging.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear cardiology
- Cardiovascular imaging
- Cardiac physiology
Background:
- Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) changes between rest and stress are physiologically significant.
- A reliable method to validate LV EF calculations is needed.
- LV mass should remain constant despite changes in LV volume and EF from rest to stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the constancy of LV mass calculations between rest and regadenoson stress.
- To determine if LV mass can serve as an internal consistency check for LV EF computations.
- To evaluate LV mass in patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 205 patients with suspected coronary disease.
- Analysis of rest and regadenoson stress gated Rb PET/CT myocardial perfusion imaging data.
- Calculation of LV volumes, EF, and mass values from equilibrium gated myocardial perfusion PET data.
Main Results:
- LV mass values were statistically similar at rest and stress (median 115 g vs 120 g).
- LV mass showed strong correlation between rest and stress measurements (r = 0.94).
- Differences in LV mass between rest and stress were minimal (median 1 g).
Conclusions:
- LV mass calculations are consistent from rest to stress across varying LV volumes and EF.
- Consistent LV mass values confirm the appropriateness of operator choices in LV EF calculations.
- LV mass serves as a valuable internal check for the reliability of LV EF data.
Purpose:
Changes in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) seen in gated Rb data are of interest because the heart is in a genuinely different physiologic state during stress than at rest. A measure that validates internal consistency of LV EF data would be highly desirable. Left ventricular mass calculations are performed simultaneously with EF determinations, requiring similar operator choices, and although LV volumes may change from rest to stress, mass values should be constant. Constancy of LV mass calculations could provide a useful internal check on the consistency of LV EF computations.
Patients And Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed data for 205 patients referred for evaluation of known or suspected coronary disease who had rest and regadenoson stress gated Rb PET/CT myocardial perfusion imaging. Equilibrium gated myocardial perfusion PET data were analyzed to calculate LV volumes, EF, and simultaneously mass values.
Results:
Rest mass ranged from 62 to 284 g (median, 115 g), stress mass from 39 to 315 g (median, 120 g), and differences were -25 to +25 g (median, 1 g). Rest and stress mass values were statistically similar (121 ± 37 g vs 124 ± 49 g, P = 0.45) and correlated strongly with one another (r = 0.94, P < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
Left ventricular mass calculations are constant from rest to stress over a wide range of ventricular volumes and ejection fractions. Consistency of LV mass values can serve as confirmation of the appropriateness of operator choices when LV EF calculations are performed.
