Related Experiment Videos
Are wall thickening measurements reproducible?
S N Konstadt1, H P Abrahams, M Nejat
1Department of Anesthesiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10029.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|April 1, 1994
Summary
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can measure left ventricular wall thickening (WT), but variability exists. Multiple standardized measurements are crucial for accurate WT assessment using TEE.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Early studies indicated high variability in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) measurements of left ventricular wall thickening (WT).
- Reevaluation of TEE for WT measurement is needed, particularly in both transverse and longitudinal planes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reevaluate the accuracy of TEE for measuring WT in the transverse plane.
- To assess TEE's utility for measuring WT in the longitudinal plane for the first time.
- To quantify inter- and intraobserver variability in TEE WT measurements.
Main Methods:
- Ten patients underwent biplane TEE with views of the left ventricle in transverse short-axis and longitudinal long-axis planes.
- Measurements were repeated four times per patient by two independent observers.
- Intra- and interobserver differences were calculated after measurements were averaged over three cardiac beats and repeated after two weeks.
Main Results:
- Average intraobserver differences for WT were small (0.08-0.24 mm).
- However, high standard deviations (1.17-2.44 mm) indicated significant variability in individual measurements.
- Interobserver variability was also a concern, necessitating standardization.
Conclusions:
- While TEE may have low mean intraobserver bias for WT, significant variability necessitates multiple measurements.
- Standardization of measurement location and edge definition is critical to minimize interobserver variability.
- TEE can be used for WT assessment, but careful technique and multiple readings are essential for reliability.