title: Regurgitant jet evaluation using three-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Three-dimensional assessment of regurgitant jet volume is the prerequisite for stratifying valve insufficiency. However, systematic comparison of three-dimensional methods is lacking. Therefore, we evaluated magnetic resonance imaging and three-dimensional echocardiography experimentally.
  
  
  METHODS
  An insufficiency chamber (22 x 18.5 x 27 cm; ostia 10, 16, and 20 mm; regurgitant volumes 2.3 to 25 mL) within experimental circulation (BioMedicus pump, tubes, pulsatile flow 0.2 to 1.9 L/min) was used for three-dimensional echocardiography (HP Sonos 2500) and magnetic resonance imaging (Siemens Magnetom Vision). Doppler flowmeter served as a gold standard. Segmentation used thresholding and surface integration of velocity vectors. Jet volume was evaluated qualitatively by polynom fitting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Jet volume calculated by magnetic resonance (r = 0.99, p < 0.0001) and by echocardiography (r = 0.99, p < 0.0001) correlated identically to the gold standard. Jet volume derived from imaging correlated with each other by r = 0.98 (p < 0.0001). Polynom fits indicated a more paraboloid shape of magnetic resonance jet volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experimentally, three-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging possess identical accuracy for determining regurgitant jet volume. Magnetic resonance imaging seems to provide qualitatively better image data for three-dimensional reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Germany. oerg.albers@urz.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nitsche
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boese
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Simone
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Christian F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Vahl
mesh_terms: D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D018056:Hemorheology; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012212:Rheology; D013318:Stroke Volume