Addition of the long-axis information to short-axis contours reduces interstudy variability of left-ventricular analysis in cardiac magnetic resonance studies.
OBJECTIVE
To reduce interstudy variability using long-axis information for correcting short-axis (SA) contours at basal and apical level for left-ventricular analysis by magnetic resonance imaging.


METHODS
A total of 20 patients with documented heart failure and 20 volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination twice for measuring endocardial end-diastolic volume, endocardial end-systolic volume, mass, and ejection fraction. The boundary of the left ventricle, the mitral valve plane, and apex were marked manually on the 2- and 4-chamber long-axis images. Automatic epicardial and endocardial contour detection was performed on the SA images using the intersection of the outlines from the long axis as starting positions. The same observer compared the interstudy variability of this method with analysis that was based on the SA images only.


RESULTS
The interstudy variability decreased when information from the long axis was included; for end-systolic volume, 9.6% versus 4.7% (P = 0.00014); for end-diastolic volume, 4.9% versus 2.5% (P = 0.0011); for mass, 7.4% versus 5.0% (P = 0.11); and for ejection fraction 12.2% versus 5.6% (P = 0.0017), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Identification of the mitral valve plane and apex on long-axis images to limit the extent of volume at the base and the apex of the heart reduces interstudy variability for left-ventricular functional assessment.
Kirschbaum
Sharon W
SW
Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Baks
Timo
T
Gronenschild
Ed H
EH
Aben
Jean-Paul
JP
Weustink
Annick C
AC
Wielopolski
Piotr A
PA
Krestin
Gabriel P
GP
de Feyter
Pim J
PJ
van Geuns
Robert-Jan M
RJ
D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology