Usefulness of electrocardiographic parameters as compared with computed tomography measures of left atrial volume enlargement: from the ROMICAT trial.
BACKGROUND
The 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG) is commonly used as a noninvasive modality to assess for left atrial enlargement (LAE), but data comparing ECG against cardiac computed tomography (CT) for LAE is lacking. We aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of 6 ECG criteria for LAE as compared with CT left atrial volume (LAV) and index to body surface area (LAVI) as the reference standard.


METHODS
In 339 patients (age: mean ± mean, 53 ± 12 years; 63% male), we evaluated the quantitative ECG parameters of P duration, P to PR segment ratio, P wave area, and P terminal force in lead V1. We also assessed qualitatively the morphology of bifid and biphasic P waves. Patients were stratified into top and lowest quartile of LAV and LAVI by CT.


RESULTS
Of the 6 ECG criteria, patients with P duration greater than 110 milliseconds had a 2½-fold increase likelihood of being in the top quartile of LAV (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.51; P = .01) and LAVI (adjusted OR, 2.74; P = .007) as measured by CT. For this ECG criterion, the sensitivity and specificity were 71% and 55% for CT LAE by LAV and 61% and 55% for LAVI. The remaining ECG parameters of LAE assessed (P to PR segment ratio, P terminal force in lead V1, P wave area, bifid, and biphasic P wave) were not associated with LAE by CT-based LAV or LAVI (all P ≥ .20).


CONCLUSIONS
Only P duration greater than 110 milliseconds was independently associated with LAE based on CT-derived LA volume and index. However, none of the established ECG parameters of LAE have sufficient diagnostic accuracies for predicting volumetric enlargement by CT, thus limiting its clinical utility.
Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. qtruong@partners.org
Quynh A
QA
Truong
Elizabeth M
EM
Charipar
Leon M
LM
Ptaszek
Carolyn
C
Taylor
Joao D
JD
Fontes
Matthias
M
Kriegel
Thomas
T
Irlbeck
Amir A
AA
Mahabadi
Ron
R
Blankstein
Udo
U
Hoffmann
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult