title: [A new echocardiographic procedure for calculation of the accurate volume of the right atrium].
abstract: The right atrial (RA) volume can be determined angiographically from two perpendicular projections. Up to now volume calculations by means of two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE) have only been attempted in a single plane, the apical four-chamber view. Our study reports a new method for RA volume calculation using two intersecting cross-sectional echocardiographic views. For this purpose silicone rubber casts of 20 human necropsy hearts were obtained and thin walled natural rubber moulds of the RA casts were prepared. Totally filled with and immersed in water, the mouls could be visualized in the apical four-chamber view and an additional echocardiographic plane, the latter corresponding to the subcostal view in vivo. In this view the vertical extension of RA could be estimated. Areas and length of RA were determined in the respective planes and RA volume was calculated by applying the formula: - Area X Length - to two intersecting planes. Finally, the latex moulds were filled with diluted contrast agent and the volume was determined angiographically using a biplane disc method. Real volume of RA was 112 +/- 23 ml (mean +/- 1 SD). Angiographically, an overestimation resulted: the calculated volume amounted to 119 +/- 24 ml, the mean difference was 7 +/- 2 ml (p less than 0.001). The regression equation was y = 1.04 X + 2.34, r = 0.995, SEE = 2.3 ml. Volume determination from the apical four-chamber view using a monoplane disc method resulted in a mean volume of 62 +/- 17 ml. The mean difference to the real RA volume was 50 +/- 17 ml, p less than 0.001.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008433:Mathematics; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D012016:Reference Values
vernacular_title: Ein neues echokardiographisches Verfahren zur exakten Volumenberechnung des rechten Vorhofes.