[Measurement of right ventricular volume by cineangiography. Validation of monoplane analysis compared with biplane]

It is demonstrated that right ventricular volumes can be measured accurately by biplane cineangiography using the Simpson's rule or various area-length methods. In order to validate the single plane approach a biplane (30 degrees RAO-60 degrees LAO) right ventricle (RV) cineangiography was performed in 10 adults investigated for chest pain without coronary artery disease or any other heart disease. RV volumes (EDV: end-diastolic; ESV: end-systolic; SV: stroke volume) and EF (ejection fraction) were measured by biplane and single plane analysis with the same area-length method using the pyramide with triangular base as geometric model (Ferlinz). The results are: RVEDV (ml/m2) biplane (B) 81 +/- 10, monoplane (M) 82 +/- 11; RVESV (ml/m2) B 33 +/- 6, M 35 +/- 8; RVSV (ml/m2) B 48 +/- 8, M 47 +/- 10; RVEF (%) B 59 +/- 6, M 57 +/- 8. Equations of linear regression show the following correlations: RVEDV R = 0.82 p less than 0.01; RVESV R = 0.77 p less than 0.01; RVSV R = 0.92 p less than 0.001; RVEF R = 0.85 p less than 0.01. Authors conclude to a good enough correlation between monoplane and biplane analysis especially for RVSV and RVEF. They underline the great variability of individual values.