Evaluation of regional ventricular wall motion by ECG-gated CT

A conventional whole body CT scanner equipped for electrocardiographic gating was used to evaluate regional left ventricular function and the findings were compared with a corresponding analysis by two-dimensional echocardiography and left ventriculography. Twenty-two patients between the ages of 40 and 77 years with a documented anterior or posterolateral myocardial infarction were studied together with a control group comprising 10 patients. The gated CT studies were obtained using three 1 cm levels selected through the mid, apical, and basal regions of the left ventricle. Qualitative analysis of segmental wall motion (p less than 0.0001) correlated with angiography in 82% and with two-dimensional echocardiography in 86% (p less than 0.0001). Computed tomography correctly identified the location of prior myocardial infarction in all but one patient. The results of this study suggest that gated CT may provide an accurate assessment of regional left ventricular function (for anterior and posterolateral myocardial infarction) and that this technique may prove to be clinically useful if these early results are confirmed by further experience.