Improved reliability for echocardiographic measurement of left ventricularvolume using harmonic power imaging mode combined with contrast agent

Harmonic power imaging (HPI) is a new echocardiographic modality that enhan ces the detection of contrast agents in the left ventricle, The endocardium con be delineated by conventional echocardiography using ultrasound contra st agents, although the images tend to be faint. The present study was desi gned to assess left ventricular volume using HPI after intravenous injectio n of the contrast agent Levovist (Schering SA, Berlin, Germany) in 25 unsel ected patients. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and ejection fra ction were determined for each patient with angiography and with 4 differen t ultrasound modalities: (1) conventional mode without contrast, (2) contra st conventional mode, (3) contrast harmonic intermittent imaging mode, and (4) contrast triggered HPI, The use of HPI improved correlations between th e echographic and angiographic measurements for all parameters as well as p recision and bios determined by Bland and Altman analysis. The relative err ors for interobserver variability were also lower with HPI, This study demo nstrates that echocardiographic determination of left ventricular volumes a nd ejection fraction is more accurate and reproducible using HPI combined w ith Levovist, (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.