Comparison of four echocardiographic techniques for measuring left ventricular ejection fraction

Accurate quantitative measurement of left ventricular (LV) ejection fractio n (EF) by 2-dimensional echocardiography is limited by subjective visual en docardial border detection. Both harmonic and precision contrast microbubbl es provide better delineation of endocardial borders than fundamental imagi ng. The aim of this study was to correlate 2-dimensional echocardiographic quantification of LVEF measured by 4 currently available techniques with ra dionuclide angiography. A total of 50 patients who underwent radionuclide ( EF) measurement (47 of 50 had technically difficult echocardiagrams by fund amental imaging) underwent echocardiography by 4 methods: fundamental alone , fundamental with contrast, harmonic alone, and harmonic with contrast. Th ree echocardiologists measured the biplane a-dimensional echocardiographic LVEF independently and were blinded to radionuclide angiography. The correl ation of echocardiographic EF with radionuclide EF improved incrementally w ith each method. However, contrast with harmonic imaging provided the close st correlation (r = 0.95, 0.96, and 0.95 as assessed by the 3 independent a nalysts. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medico, Inc.