title: Left ventricular ejection fraction estimation using mutual information on technetium-99m multiple-gated SPECT scans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A new non-linear approach was applied to calculate the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using multigated acquisition (MUGA) images.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 50 patients originally for the estimation of the percentage of LVEF to monitor the effects of various cardiotoxic drugs in chemotherapy were retrospectively selected. All patients had both MUGA and echocardiography examinations (ECHO LVEF) at the same time. Mutual information (MI) theory was utilized to calculate the LVEF using MUGA imaging (MUGA MI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  MUGA MI estimation was significantly different from MUGA LVEF and ECHO LVEF, respectively (p < 0.005). The higher repeatability for MUGA MI can be observed in the figure by the higher correlation coefficient for MUGA MI (r = 0.95) compared with that of MUGA LVEF (r = 0.80). Again, the reproducibility was better for MUGA MI (r = 0.90, 0.92) than MUGA LVEF (r = 0.77, 0.83). The higher correlation coefficients were obtained between proposed MUGA MI and ECHO LVEF compared to that between the conventional MUGA LVEF and ECHO LVEF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MUGA image with the aid of MI is promising to be more interchangeable LVEF to ECHO LVEF measurement as compared with the conventional approach on MUGA image.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan. shineng.yang@msa.hinet.net.|Department of Radiation Oncology, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, 40447, Taiwan. shineng.yang@msa.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Shih-Neng
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, 40447, Taiwan. sunss0715@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Shung-Shung
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA. Geoffrey.Zhang@moffitt.org.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan. a20045111@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kuei-Ting
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital, No.111, Section 3, Hsing-Long Rd, Taipei, 116, Taiwan. dark5532@hotmail.com.tw.
authors.forename: Shih-Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan. yu-rou0818@hotmail.com.tw.
authors.forename: Yu-Rou
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tri-Service General Hospital, No. 325, Section 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu District, Taipei City, 114, Taiwan. judy19805846@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fang-Jing
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, No. 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan. tzungchi.huang@mail.cmu.edu.tw.|Department of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, Asia University, No. 500, Lioufeng Road, Wufeng, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan. tzungchi.huang@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Tzung-Chi
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055426:Cardiac-Gated Single-Photon Emission Computer-Assisted Tomography; D054715:Cardiotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013667:Technetium; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D054715:Cardiotoxins; D013667:Technetium