Comparison between manual and semiautomated analysis of left ventricular volume parameters from short-axis MR images.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to evaluate a newly developed semiautomated contour detection algorithm for the quantitative analysis of cardiovascular MRI.


METHODS
Left ventricular function parameters derived from automatically detected endocardial and epicardial contours were compared with results derived from manually traced contours in short-axis multislice GRE MRI studies of 10 normal volunteers and 10 infarct patients.


RESULTS
Compared with manual image analysis, the semiautomated method resulted in the following systematic and random differences (auto-manual; mean +/- SD): end-diastolic volume: -5.5 +/- 9.7 ml; end-systolic volume: -3.6 +/- 6.5 ml; ejection fraction: 1.7 +/- 4.1%; left ventricular mass: 7.3 +/- 20.6 g. Total analysis time for a complete study was reduced from 3-4 h for the manual analysis to < 20 min using semiautomated contour detection.


CONCLUSIONS
Global left ventricular function parameters can be obtained with a high degree of accuracy and precision using the present semiautomated contour detection algorithm.
van der Geest
R J
RJ
Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Image Processing, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
Buller
V G
VG
Jansen
E
E
Lamb
H J
HJ
Baur
L H
LH
van der Wall
E E
EE
de Roos
A
A
Reiber
J H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D003971:Diastole; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004699:Endocardium / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012984:Software; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left