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Comparison of electron beam computed tomography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging quantification of right
J A Cutrone1, D Georgiou, S Khan
1Department of Radiology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance 90509, USA.
Insights
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electron beam computed tomography (CT) scanning accurately quantify right ventricular (RV) free wall mass. However, both methods struggle to accurately measure the RV septal component, suggesting RV mass should be determined by the free wall alone.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular imaging
- Medical physics
- Anatomical quantification
Background:
- Accurate quantification of right ventricular (RV) mass is crucial for assessing cardiac health.
- Existing imaging modalities require validation for precise RV mass measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electron beam computed tomography (CT) in quantifying the free wall and septal components of RV mass.
- To determine the optimal method for RV mass estimation based on component accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Autopsy human hearts (n=11) were imaged using both MR imaging and electron beam CT scanning.
- Mass determinations from imaging were compared against autopsy weights using regression analysis.
Main Results:
- Both MR imaging and electron beam CT demonstrated strong correlations with autopsy weights for RV free wall mass (r=0.88 and r=0.95, respectively).
- MR imaging and electron beam CT showed weaker correlations for RV septal mass compared to autopsy weights (r=0.45 and r=0.46, respectively).
Conclusions:
- MR imaging and electron beam CT are accurate for quantifying RV free wall mass.
- Both modalities exhibit limitations in precisely measuring the RV septal component.
- RV mass determination should prioritize the free wall component due to its larger contribution and better quantifiability.
Rationale And Objectives:
We compared, in the same human hearts, the ability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electron beam computed tomography (CT) scanning to accurately quantify the free wall and septal components of right ventricular (RV) mass.
Methods:
Eleven hearts extracted at autopsy were subjected to MR imaging and electron beam CT scanning in short-axis projections. Regression analyses of mass determinations obtained by manual planimetry MR imaging and electron beam CT scanning and autopsy weights were performed.
Results:
RV free wall mass by both MR imaging (53.4 +/- 19.1 g) and electron beam CT scanning (53.9 +/- 20.4 g) correlated well with autopsy weight (57.7 +/- 20.2 g). Regression analysis showed a strong correlation for MR imaging (r = .88, slope = .88, standard error the estimate [SEE] = 7.2 g, p < .001) and electron beam CT scanning (r = .95, slope = .95, SEE = 6.6 g, p < .001). RV septal mass by MR imaging (10.8 +/- 3.5 g) and electron beam CT scanning (7.1 +/- 2.4 g) correlated less well with the autopsy weight (12.5 +/- 6.5 g). Regression analysis showed a fair correlation for MR imaging (r = .45, slope = .83, SEE = 2.05 g, p = .001) and a poor correlation for electron beam CT scanning (r = .46, slope = .17, SEE = 2.25 g, p = .57).
Conclusion:
Both MR imaging and electron beam CT scanning accurately predict RV free wall mass but have difficulty predicting the septal component. Because the septal component constitutes only a small proportion of the total RV mass, determinations of RV mass should be based solely on the free wall component.