title: Comparison of two- and three-dimensional echocardiography with sequential magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating left ventricular volume and ejection fraction over time in patients with healed myocardial infarction.
abstract: Echocardiographic follow-up of left ventricular (LV) volumes is difficult because of the test-retest variation of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). We investigated whether the accuracy and reproducibility of real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) would make this modality more feasible for serial follow-up of LV measurements. We performed 2DE and RT3DE and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 50 patients with previous infarction and varying degrees of LV function (44 men; 61 +/- 11 years of age) at baseline and after 1-year follow-up. Images were obtained during breath-hold and measurements of LV volumes and ejection fraction were made offline. Over follow-up, end-diastolic volume decreased from 192 +/- 53 to 187 +/- 60 ml (p <0.01), end-systolic volume decreased from 104 +/- 51 to 95 +/- 53 ml (p <0.01), and ejection fraction increased from 48 +/- 12% to 51 +/- 12% (p <0.01). MRI showed that LV mass shrank from 183 +/- 39 to 182 +/- 37 g (p <0.01). The correlation between change in RT3DE and change in MRI was greater than the correlations of 2DE with MRI for measurement of end-diastolic volume (r = 0.47 vs 0.02, p <0.01), end-systolic volume (r = 0.44 vs 0.17, p <0.01), and ejection fraction (r = 0.58 vs -0.03, p <0.01). The change in end-diastolic volume between baseline and follow-up with RT3DE (-4 +/- 20, p <0.01) was similar to that with MRI but was unrecognized by 2DE (4 +/- 19, p = 0.09). There was good test-retest and inter- and intraobserver correlation within RT3DE for volumes, ejection fraction, and mass. In conclusion, if sequential measurement of LV volumes is used to guide management decisions, 3DE appears preferable to 2DE.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bricknell
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Lizelle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanekom
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Marwick
mesh_terms: D002306:Cardiac Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*