[A new methodologic approach for determining right ventricular volumes from transesophageal echocardiography]

In order to develop a concept of right ventricular volume estimation accounting for variance in positioning of the transesophageal transducer, non-linear scale transformations of suitable measurements of areas and perimeters were used in a new modeling-approach. This type of modeling supposes self-similarity of ventricular dimensions, a mathematical concept generalizing the notion of proportionality. In a study using right ventricular casts, we were able to demonstrate the geometry of right ventricles complies with these assumptions. The resulting multivariate power law volume estimators were developed by non-linear data fitting by learning-analyses based upon angiographic reference volumes and two areas derived from non-orthogonal sections using a monoplane transducer in a first series of studies, and two orthogonal areas with corresponding perimeters using a biplane device in a second series. Correction factors for systolic and diastolic volumes were applied. By prospective test-analyses angiographic and TEE-derived volumes were compared to evaluate our volume estimator and good agreement was found. Trend was evaluated by correlation amounts to r = 0.95 (n = 22) in series 1 with monoplane transducer, and r = 0.9 (n = 20) in series 2 with biplane transducer. This approach is of use in monitoring right ventricular function in cases with unsuitable transthoracical windows, e.g., in cardiac surgery postoperatively.