Accurate measures of left ventricular ejection fraction using electron beam tomography: A comparison with radionuclide angiography, and cine angiography

Background: Quantitative determination of ejection fraction is predicated o n precise measurement of end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes of the left ventricle. Contrast enhanced electron beam tomography (EBT), with excellen t temporal and spatial resolution, has the potential for highly accurate me asures of ejection fraction. Methods: EBT protocol used a short axis scan o f the left ventricle (8-12 levels, apex to base) during infusion of iodinat ed contrast. To assess the accuracy of the measured left ventricular ejecti on fraction (LVEF), we compared EBT with first-pass radionuclide angiograph y (RNA) and cine angiography (CINE). Results: A total of 41 patients (26 me n and 15 women) underwent all three tests within 1 week. Resting ejection f raction using each modality was assessed in a linear regression model to as sess inter-test correlation with the other two modalities. Correlation betw een CINE and EBT was high (r = 0.90, intercept 4.67, p < 0.001). Similarly, correlation of CINE and RNA (r = 0.87, intercept -5.48, p < 0.001) and bet ween EBT and RNA (r = 0.87, intercept -4.6, p < 0.001) were high. In a subs et of those patients with LVEF less than or equal to 40%, correlation was c onsistently high between EBT and CINE. However, correlations were poor for the comparisons between RNA and CINE (r = 0.40), and between the RNA and EB T (r = 0.47). The mean differences of measured ejection fractions between e ach of the imaging modality were small. However, there was only modest agre ement between each of the comparisons as measured using 95% confidence inte rval (CI) on Bland-Altman plots. Conclusion: These data indicate that the L VEF results are comparable among EBT, RNA, and CINE and can be used interch angeably to assess ventricular function for LVEF > 40%. For LVEF less than or equal to 40%, we demonstrated some disparate results between cine angiog raphy and RNA and between EBT and RNA, indicating that CINE or EBT may prov ide more accurate assessment.