Normal range of human left ventricular volumes and mass using steady state free precession MRI in the radial long axis orientation

Background: The radial long-axis orientation for the measurement of left ventricular (LV) volume and mass has been shown to have advantages over the short-axis orientation. Previous work has highlighted the need for technique specific normal ranges. The purpose of this study was therefore to establish normal ranges of LV volume and mass for the radial long-axis orientation. Materials and methods: Forty normal subjects (20 males, average age 32.3, age range 19-58; 20 females, average age 37.4, age range 21-54) were examined utilising a steady state free precession (SSFP) pulse sequence. Two observers analysed the images independently using in-house validated software. Results: The normal ranges for LV end-diastolic volume measurements after adjustment to body surface area (BSA) were 62-120 ml for males and 58-103 ml for females. LV mass indexed to BSA ranged from 50-86 g for males and 36-72 g for females. The normal range for ejection fraction was 49-73 % for males and 54-73 % for females. Conclusion: A gender specific normal range using SSFP in the radial long-axis orientation was established.