SINGLE-CRYSTAL BIPLANE EQUILIBRIUM RADIONUCLIDE VENTRICULOGRAPHY - ANIMPROVED PLANAR IMAGING TECHNIQUE

Radionuclide ventriculography in the best septal view is an establishe d method to assess both global and regional ventricular function. Addi tional projections may be used to delineate the wall motion of inferio r myocardial segments. Radionuclide ventriculography was performed in 65 patients using both a single plane (in the best septal view) and a biplane technique. The biplane collimator allowed simultaneous assessm ent in two planes 40 degrees apart, allowing simultaneous visualizatio n of all four myocardial walls. Seventeen patients with regional wall motion abnormalities were detected with the single plane best septal v iew and a further 18 patients with impaired wall motion were identifie d with the biplane collimator (51% of the abnormal ventricles). The ad ditional abnormal segments were seen in only the steep lateral project ion. Left ventricular ejection fraction estimation with the biplane te chnique remains highly reproducible and correlates well with that deri ved from the best septal view. Biplane radionuclide ventriculography i mproves the detection of inferior wall motion abnormalities at no expe nse of time, and offers the possibility of performing two-view stress ventriculography with inotropic agents.