title: Impact of the number of image planes of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography on the accuracy of left atrial and ventricular volume measurements.
abstract: Real-time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (RT-3DE) has emerged as a new technique in measuring left atrial and ventricular volume. However, the impact of cutting planes of RT-3DE on the accuracy of volume measurement in patients with a normal or enlarged heart is still unknown. We enrolled 30 normal subjects (control group) and 30 patients with heart failure (patient group). RT-3DE was performed to measure maximal volume of the left atrium (LAVmax) and left ventricular end-diastole volume (LVEDV) with 2-, 4-, 8- and 16-cutting planes, compared with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). In both groups, LAVmax by RT-3DE using 2- and 4-cutting planes was significantly underestimated (mean difference: -10.4 +/- 16.6 mL, p = 0.001 and -8.8 +/- 14.2 mL, p = 0.002 in the control group and -13.4 +/- 19.6 mL, p = 0.001 and -11.2 +/- 17.5 mL, p = 0.001 in the patient group, respectively). These differences became nonsignificant when 8- and 16-cutting planes were adopted (mean difference: -2.1 +/- 7.6 mL and -1.9 +/- 7.4 mL in the control group and -2.7 +/- 8.4 mL and -2.2 +/- 8.3 mL in the patient group, respectively). The agreement for LVEDV was acceptable when 4- or more cutting planes were used in the control group and when 8- or 16-cutting planes were used in the patient group. The time expense for data analysis of LAVmax with 8-image planes was only 7 +/- 4 min in the control group and 6 +/- 5 min in the patient group, almost halving that of the 16-image planes. Similarly, 4- and 8-cutting planes were required for an accurate measurement of LVEDV in the control and patient groups, respectively. In conclusion, RT-3DE with 8-cutting planes is both accurate and timesaving for measurement of LAVmax and LVEDV in patients with normal or enlarged left atria and ventricles.
authors: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Shandong, P. R. China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Gui Hua
authors: GH
authors: Yao
authors: Peng Fei
authors: PF
authors: Zhang
authors: Zhi Ming
authors: ZM
authors: Ge
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Zhang
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results