[A method of processing information on cineangiography of the right ventricle]

This paper describes our experience in making a programme for computer processing of biplane right ventricular cineangiography for the measurement of volumes and analysis of wall motion. The volumes were determined by a method of integration to the geometric model of a triangular pyramid i.e. trunco-pyramidal (IM.TP). The classical ellipsoidal integration method i.e. trunco-conal (IM.TC) and biplane and monoplane planimetry based on the model of a triangular pyramid (PM.TP) were used as references. Nineteen post-mortem RV casts were used to validate the programme. The correlations between the true volumes and the angiographic measurements were excellent (r = greater than 0.99) with both methods of integration, very good (r = 0.99) using the biplane PM.TP and very satisfactory (r = 0.91) with the monoplane PM.TP. The line of regression was very close to unity with the IM.TP and 0.9 with the PM.TP; this indicates the excellent adaptation of the triangular pyramid model to the shape of the RV. The IM.TP was used in a group of 20 right ventriculographies of patients without cardiac disease: the following results were obtained: EDV = 70.3 +/- 6.6 cm3/m2; ESV = 31.7 +/- 3.9 m3/m2; systolic index = 38.6 +/- 4.5 cm3/m2; ejection fraction = 0.55 +/- 0.04. The correlation of the values of systolic index by cineangiography and thermodilution (39.9 +/- 5.7 cm3/m2) was good (r = 0.86; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)