title: Semi-automatic boundary detection to improve reporting of regional left ventricular function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The reporting of regional left ventricular function is based on subjective assessment of endocardial motion and thickening and has a significant learning curve. We hypothesized that the use of an semi-automatic boundary detection system generating images with superimposed moving endocardial borders and a fixed end-diastolic reference border could improve the reporting of regional function.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained 58 resting contrast images of 15 patients and using a new boundary detection system (Quamus), generated images with superimposed endocardial borders. The contrast images, images with additional Quamus borders and Quamus borders alone were assessed by two level 1 and two level 2 echocardiographers. They scored regional function and results were compared to two level 3 experienced stress echocardiography readers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The addition of borders improved the agreement of level 1 echocardiographers (weighted Kappa increased from 0.55 to 0.64) but did not change for level 2 echocardiographers (0.63 to 0.64) and has the potential to be a useful training tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. jon.timperley@orh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timperley
authors.forename: A R J
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Blackman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shirodaria
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eichhofer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulet-Parada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Becher
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media