title: Limitations and pitfalls in measurements of right ventricular stroke volume in an animal model of right heart failure.
abstract: Right heart failure occurs in various heart and pulmonary vascular diseases and may be fatal. We aimed to identify limitations in non-invasive measurements of right ventricular stroke volume in an animal model of right ventricular failure. Data from previous studies randomising rats to pulmonary trunk banding (PTB, n = 33) causing pressure-overload right ventricular failure or sham operation (n = 16) was evaluated retrospectively. We measured right ventricular stroke volume by high frequency echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We found correlation between right ventricular stroke volume measured by echocardiography and MRI in the sham animals (r = 0.677, p = 0.004) but not in the PTB group. Echocardiography overestimated the stroke volume compared to MRI in both groups. Intra- and inter-observer variation did not explain the difference. Technical, physiological and anatomical issues in the pulmonary artery might explain why echocardiography over-estimates stroke volume. Flow acceleration close to the pulmonary artery banding can cause uncertainties in the PTB model and might explain the lack of correlation. In conclusion, we found a correlation in right ventricular stroke volume measured by echocardiography versus MRI in the sham group but not the PTB group. Echocardiography overestimated right ventricular stroke volume compared to MRI.
authors: Department of Cardiology-Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors: Mads Dam
authors: MD
authors: Vildbrad
authors: Asger
authors: A
authors: Andersen
authors: Thomas Krarup
authors: TK
authors: Andersen
authors: Sofie
authors: S
authors: Axelgaard
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Holmboe
authors: Stine
authors: S
authors: Andersen
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Ringgaard
authors: Jens Erik
authors: JE
authors: Nielsen-Kudsk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004452:Echocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000503:physiopathology*