Sequential functional analysis of left ventricle from 2D-echocardiography images

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Biomedical engineering
• Cardiac mechanics

Background:

• Left ventricular (LV) shape dynamics are crucial for cardiac function.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) significantly alters LV structure and function.
• Quantifying these changes aids in understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze sequential changes in left ventricular (LV) shape during the cardiac cycle.
• To compare LV shape descriptors between healthy individuals and DCM patients.
• To assess the utility of image processing for quantifying cardiac function.

Main Methods:

• A semi-automatic MATLAB algorithm processed cardiac images (long axis view).
• Image processing involved grayscale conversion, contour extraction (median/SRAD filters), and morphological operations.
• LV area, perimeter, volume, shape index, stroke volume (SV), and ejection fraction (EF) were calculated.

Main Results:

• LV area, perimeter, volume, and shape index changes were reduced in DCM patients compared to normal subjects.
• Calculated SV and EF for the normal subject aligned with established imaging procedure ranges.
• The study successfully quantified differences in LV dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Image analysis provides quantitative insights into LV shape changes.
• Reduced LV dynamics are indicative of dilated cardiomyopathy.
• This method can aid in the assessment of cardiac function and disease severity.