Biplane long-axis magnetic resonance imaging. Survey projections for rapid estimation of left ventricular mass and global function.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy and precision of biplane long-axis magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and two-dimensional (2D)-echocardiography, for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) mass and volumes, with multislice short-axis MRI as reference standard.


METHODS
Forty-five cardiac patients and four volunteers with varying LV dilatation and hypertrophy were examined by biplane long-axis gradient-echo MRI, 2D-echocardiography, and multiple short-axis gradient-echo MRI.


RESULTS
Compared with multislice MRI, the accuracy, i.e. the coefficient of variation (c.v.) of inter-method differences of measured variables, was median 15.7% for biplane MRI and 18.5% for 2D-echocardiography. The precision, expressed as the c.v. of repeated measurements, was median 8.5% for multislice MRI, 9.5% for biplane MRI and 12.4% for 2D-echocardiography. For the determination of LV mass index, MRI was significantly more precise (c.v.: 6.0-8.4%) than 2D-echocardiography (c.v.: 13.7-14.3%, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Biplane long-axis MRI is a fast and simplified method, offering the advantage of displaying anatomy and function in recognizable projections. For the estimation of LV mass and volumes, biplane MRI had an acceptable accuracy, and a precision that did not differ significantly from that of multislice MRI.
Schroeder
A P
AP
Department of Cardiology, Skejby Sygehus, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. pauline@dadlnet.dk
Houlind
K
K
Pedersen
E M
EM
Nielsen
T T
TT
Egeblad
H
H
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left