Assessment of right ventricular function by 16-detector-row CT: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging.
The purpose of this study was to determine right ventricular (RV) function from 16-detector-row CT by using two different software tools in comparison with MRI. Nineteen patients underwent cardiac CT. (1) With semiautomated contour detection software end-diastolic and end-systolic RV volumes were determined from short-axis CT reformations (MPR) created at every 10% of the RR-interval. (2) End-systolic and end-diastolic axial images were transformed to 3D to determine the volumes by using a threshold-supported reconstruction algorithm. Steady-state free-precession cine-MRI of the heart was done in short-axis orientation. RV function could not be analyzed in one patient because of sternal wire artifacts in MRI. Mean end-diastolic (155.4+/-54.6 ml) and end-systolic (79.1+/-37.0 ml) RV volumes determined with MPR correlated well with MRI [151.9+/-53.7 ml (r=0.98) and 75.0+/-36.0 ml (r=0.96), respectively (P<0.001)]. RV stroke volume (76.2+/-20.2 ml for MPR-CT, 76.9+/-20.7 ml for MRI, r=0.93) showed a good correlation and RV ejection fraction (50.8+/-8.4% for MPR-CT, 51.9+/-7.4% for MRI, r=0.74) only a moderate one. Threshold supported 3D reconstructions revealed insufficient correlations with MRI (r=0.31-0.59). MPR-based semiautomated analysis of cardiac 16 detector-row CT allows for RV functional analysis. The results correlate well with MRI findings. Threshold value-supported 3D reconstructions did not show satisfying results because of inhomogeneities of RV contrast enhancement.
Koch
K
K
Department of Radiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany. koch@radiologie.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Oellig
F
F
Oberholzer
K
K
Bender
P
P
Kunz
P
P
Mildenberger
P
P
Hake
U
U
Kreitner
K-F
KF
Thelen
M
M
D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*
D003287:Contrast Media