Choosing the Adaptive Cardiac Phase for Assessing Cardiac Dimensions Using Cardiac Computed Tomography for Heart...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Cardiac computed tomography (CT)
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Cardiac chamber dimensions and left ventricle (LV) wall thickness vary throughout the cardiac cycle.
• Systole and diastole represent distinct phases for cardiac measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize normal heart dimensions across the cardiac cycle.
• To identify the optimal cardiac phase for measuring maximum cardiac parameters.
• To aid in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease.

Main Methods:

• Cardiac CT was used to measure left atrium (LA), LV, right atrium (RA), and right ventricle (RV) dimensions and LV wall thickness.
• Measurements were taken at different cardiac phases.
• Analysis included phase differences, correlations with risk factors, and ROC analysis for LA enlargement.

Main Results:

• LA and RA dimensions, and LV wall thickness peaked at 35%-45% of the cycle.
• LV and RV dimensions peaked at 95%-5%.
• Specific diameters (LA-B, LV-D1, RA-B, RV-D2) showed relative stability; HR and smoking correlated with LV-D2; HR and LV mass correlated with LV-D3. A 45% phase cutoff of 37.12 mm for LA-B predicted LA enlargement.

Conclusions:

• Selecting the appropriate cardiac phase for CT measurements improves accuracy.
• Optimized measurements enhance clinical assessment of cardiac dimensions and wall thickness.
• This approach supports more precise cardiovascular disease evaluation.