Quantification of 3D regional myocardial wall thickening from gated magnetic resonance images.
OBJECTIVE
To develop 3D quantitative measures of regional myocardial wall motion and thickening using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to validate them by comparison to standard visual scoring assessment.


METHODS
In all, 53 consecutive subjects with short-axis slices and mid-ventricular 2-chamber/4-chamber views were analyzed. After correction for breath-hold-related misregistration, 3D myocardial boundaries were fitted to images and edited by an imaging cardiologist. Myocardial thickness was quantified at end-diastole and end-systole by computing the 3D distances using Laplace's equation. 3D thickening was represented using the standard 17-segment polar coordinates. 3D thickening was compared with 3D wall motion and with expert visual scores (6-point visual scoring of wall motion and wall thickening; 0 = normal; 5 = greatest abnormality) assigned by imaging cardiologists.


RESULTS
Correlation between ejection fraction and thickening measurements was (r = 0.84; P < 0.001) compared to correlation between ejection fraction and motion measurements (r = 0.86; P < 0.001). Good negative correlation between summed visual scores and global wall thickening and motion measurements were also obtained (r(thick) = -0.79; r(motion) = -0.74). Additionally, overall good correlation between individual segmental visual scores with thickening/wall motion (r(thick) = -0.69; r(motion) = -0.65) was observed (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
3D quantitative regional thickening and wall motion measures obtained from MRI correlate strongly with expert clinical scoring.
Prasad
Mithun
M
Department of Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Ramesh
Amit
A
Kavanagh
Paul
P
Tamarappoo
Balaji K
BK
Nakazato
Ryo
R
Gerlach
James
J
Cheng
Victor
V
Thomson
Louise E J
LE
Berman
Daniel S
DS
Germano
Guido
G
Slomka
Piotr J
PJ
D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; 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; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*