LEFT-VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION IN CHILDREN MEASURED BY 3-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY USING A NEW TRANSTHORACIC INTEGRATED 3D-PROBE - ACOMPARISON WITH EQUILIBRIUM RADIONUCLIDE ANGIOGRAPHY

Background Three-dimensional echocardiography allows calculation of le ft ventricular ejection fraction without geometric assumption on the v entricular shape. Our aim was to validate this technique in a paediatr ic population with distorted ventricles. Methods Twenty-one patients a ged 6 months to 17 years underwent equilibrium radionuclide angiograph y and three-dimensional echocardiography. Fourteen patients had dilate d cardiomyopathy and seven had univentricular hearts. A new, easy to h andle, transthoracic rotational probe was used and motion artefacts we re limited during the rotation (3 degrees intervals with ECG and respi ratory gating). Left Ventricular volumes and ejection fraction were ca lculated using the Simpson's rule with 12 slices. Results Three-dimens ional echocardiography correlated well with equilibrium radionuclide a ngiography for ejection fraction measurement (r=0.90; the mean differe nce between the two methods being 3.8 +/- 6%). Intra-observer and inte robserver Variabilities for 3D echocardiography were 2.4% and 4.5%. Co nclusions Three-dimensional echocardiography is an accurate, non-invas ive, and reproducible methods to measure left Ventricular ejection fra ction in children.