MEASUREMENTS AND DAY-TO-DAY VARIABILITIES OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR VOLUMESAND EJECTION FRACTION BY 3-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND COMPARISON WITH MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

The aim of this study was to assess day-to-day variability of left ven tricular (LV) volume and ejection fraction (EF) calculated from 3-dime nsional echocardiography (3-DE) and to compare the reproducibility of the measurement with magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-six subjects we re examined including 15 normal volunteers (group A) and 31 patients w ith LV dysfunction (group B). Precordial 3-DE acquisition was performe d at 2 degrees rotational intervals and repeated 1 week later. Magneti c; resonance imaging was performed at 0.5 T. End-diastolic and end-sys tolic LV volumes were derived using Simpson's rule by manual endocardi al tracing of 8 equidistant parallel LV short-axis slices with 3-DE, w hereas 9-mm slices were used with magnetic resonance imaging. The mean a SD of end-diastolic and end-systolic LV volumes (ml) and EF (%) fro m magnetic resonance imaging were 182 +/- 75, 121 +/- 76, and 39 +/- 1 8, whereas those from 3-DE were 182 +/- 76, 121 +/- 77, and 39 +/- 18 respectively. Day-ta-day measurements of end-diastolic and end-systoli c LV volumes, and EF on 3-DE were: not significantly different as asse ssed with SEE (2.7, 1.1, and 2.4, respectively). Intra- and interobser ver SEE for calculating end-diastolic and end-systolic LV volumes and EF for magnetic resonance imaging were 6.3, 4.7, and 2.1 and 13.6, 11. 5, and 4.7, respectively, whereas those for 3-DE were 3.1, 4.4, and 2. 2 and 6.2, 3.8, and 3.6, respectively. Day-to-day variability of LV vo lume and EF calculation on 3-DE were small and not significantly diffe rent for normal and dysfunctional left ventricles. Observer variabilit ies of 3-DE were fewer than those of magnetic resonance imaging. There fore, 3-DE is recommended for serial assessment of LV volume and EF in normal and abnormally shaped ventricles. (C) 1998 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.