Experimental study of quantitative assessment of left ventricular mass with contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of measurement of left ventricular mass with intravenous contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography in the experimental setting.


METHODS
RT3D echocardiography was performed in 13 open-chest mongrel dogs before and after intravenous infusion of a perfluorocarbon contrast agent. Left ventricular myocardium volume was measured according to the apical four-plane method provided by TomTec 4D cardio-View RT1.0 software, then the left ventricular mass was calculated as the myocardial volume multiplied by the relative density of myocardium. Correlative analysis and paired t-test were performed between left ventricular mass obtained from RT3D echocardiography and the anatomic measurements.


RESULTS
Anatomic measurement of total left ventricular mass was 55.6 +/- 9.3 g, whereas RT3D echocardiographic calculation of left ventricular mass before and after intravenous perfluorocarbon contrast agent was 57.5 +/- 11.4 and 55.5 +/- 9.3 g, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the RT3D echocardiographic estimates of total left ventricular mass and the corresponding anatomic measurements (r = 0.95). A strong correlation was found between RT3D echocardiographic estimates of left ventricular mass with perfluorocarbon contrast and the anatomic results (r = 0.99). Analysis of intraobserver and interobserver variability showed strong indexes of agreement in the measurement of left ventricular mass with pre and post-contrast RT3D echocardiography.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurements of left ventricular mass derived from RT3D echocardiography with and without intravenous contrast showed a significant correlation with the anatomic results. Contrast enhanced RT3D echocardiography permitted better visualization of the endocardial border, which would provide a more accurate and reliable means of determining left ventricular myocardial mass in the experimental setting.
Zhuang
Lei
L
Department of Echocardiography, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430022, PR China.
Wang
Xin-Fang
XF
Xie
Ming-Xing
MX
Chen
Li-Xin
LX
Fei
Hong-Wen
HW
Yang
Ying
Y
Wang
Jing
J
Huang
Run-Qing
RQ
Chen
Ou-Di
OD
Wang
Liang-Yu
LY
D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004285:Dogs; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000592:standards; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
D003287:Contrast Media; D005466:Fluorocarbons