Accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction using the nuclear stethoscope in left ventricular aneurysm

Although the nuclear stethoscope, a nonimaging probe, accurately determines left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), its reliability in patients with LV aneurysm has not been established. Accordingly, LVEF was determined using the nuclear stethoscope and compared with that determined by equilibrium gated blood pool scanning in 29 patients, 1 studied on 2 separate occasions, for a total of 30 patient studies. Patient studies were separated into 2 groups. Patients in group I (n = 20) had no gated blood pool evidence for aneurysm, and those in group II (n = 10) had discrete focal akinesia or dyskinesia. Nineteen patients (13 in group I and 6 in group II) had 2 separate nuclear stethoscope acquisitions. In group I, EF determined by gated blood pool scanning (53 +/- 4%, mean +/- standard error) did not differ from that determined by nuclear stethoscope (51 +/- 4%). EF determined using either gated blood pool scanning (32 +/- 6%) or nuclear stethoscope (35 +/- 5%) was significantly lower in group II than in group I, although nuclear stethoscope and gated blood pool scanning did not differ. Reproducibility was excellent (r = 0.96). Overall, nuclear stethoscope and gated blood pool EFs correlated closely (r = 0.93), and the correlation coefficients were similar in groups I (r = 0.92) and II (r = 0.92). The slopes of the regression curves for group I (0.97) and group II (0.92) were not statistically different. These results confirm the accuracy and reproducibility of LVEF determination by nuclear stethoscope and specifically demonstrate its reliability in patients with LV aneurysm.