Geometric considerations in determination of left ventricular mass by two-dimensional echocardiography

This review describes the technique of and advances in determination of left ventricular mass by two-dimensional echocardiography. Two-dimensional echocardiographic model systems, which require geometric assumptions, may have limited accuracy in mass determination if ventricular shape is deformed or the architecture is irregular, as it may be in various disease states. Recently developed techniques allow free angulation of the echocardiographic transducer with continuous recordings of the three-dimensional coordinates of each image without imposing restraints on transducer orientation. These developments have led to methods for accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of left ventricular mass, even in the presence of severe dilatation or deformity. With the interaction of two-dimensional echocardiography, a coordinate system for locating the transducer in three-dimensional space, and computer-aided echocardiographic contouring, it is possible to obtain left ventricular mass estimates with a high degree of accuracy from randomly oriented views without practical restriction on transducer motion or major geometric assumptions.