COMPUTERIZED QUANTIFICATION ANALYSIS OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR WALL-MOTION FROM ECHOCARDIOGRAMS

Two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) imaging is a more attracti ve clinical tool than other modalities that either involve radiation e xposure or are too slow to image heart motion in real-time. Computer-a ided analysis of left ventricular(LV) wall motion provides quantitativ e parameters for diagnosis. This study presents a computerized model f or quantitative analysis of left ventricular wall motion from two-dime nsional echocardiography by the application of image processing algori thms, including automatic threshold estimation, contrast stretching, b oundary detection and border smoothing. The wall motion measurements r ely primarily on sequential changes from end-diastolic to end-systolic frames in the left ventricular contours of apical four-chamber view e chocardiograms, Left ventricular wall motion was analyzed on the 30 se gments of 5 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The results fro m the computerized model were compared to those obtained from qualitat ive analysis of echocardiograms by an experienced clinical cardiologis t who was unaware of the results of quantitative data. (C) 1997 Dyname dia, Inc.