Semi-automatic boundary detection to improve reporting of regional left ventricular function.
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.
Timperley
J
J
Department of Cardiology, The John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. jon.timperley@orh.nhs.uk
Mitchell
A R J
AR
Blackman
D J
DJ
Shirodaria
C
C
Eichhofer
J
J
Mulet-Parada
M
M
Becher
H
H
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*
D003287:Contrast Media