[Videodensitometric assessment of right and left ventricular functions by digital subtraction angiography]

Right and left ventricular volumes and systolic indices were determined by intravenous digital subtraction ventriculography in 50 patients with various heart diseases. Using a constant injection speed of 35 ml Renografin-76 contrast medium, serial right and left ventriculograms were obtained in the 30 degree right anterior oblique projection. Right ventriculograms were also obtained in the 60 degree left anterior oblique projection. The videotape recordings of subtracted images were continuously digitized into 128 X 128 eight bit (256 gray scales) pixel matrices using an image-processing computer. The endocardial outlines of the right and left ventricles were drawn manually using a joystick, frame by frame, for each cardiac cycle. By integrating overall the pixel densitometric counts within this outline for each frame, the computer generated a time-density curve with maxima and minima represented in the end-diastolic and end-systolic frames, respectively. Systolic indices including ejection fraction (EF), one-third ejection fraction (1/3 EF) and the peak ejection rate (PER) were derived from the time-density curve. Right ventricular volume was determined by the single-plane or biplane mathematical formulae of Ferlinz et al., and left ventricular volume was calculated by the area-length method in the 30 degree right anterior oblique projection. Results by the two geometric methods correlated well for right ventricular volume (r = 0.84) and for EF (r = 0.80). Right ventricular densitometric counts correlated closely with single-plane volume (r = 0.91). Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) determined by videodensitometry also correlated satisfactorily with that by single-plane angiography (r = 0.74).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)