Reproducibility of right and left ventricular volume measurements by electron-beam CT in patients with congestive heart failure

The applicability and reproducibility of electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) was tested to define left and right ventricular volumes in patients with congestive heart failure in a clinical setting. Methods. Ten patients (mean age 64 +/- 11 years) with dilated hearts and stable congestive heart failure (functional class III - IV) were studied. After determination of the individual circulation time, two serial short axis polytomographic EBCT studies were performed within a mean interval of 14.8 +/- 10 days. Following intravenous contrast administration, biventricular end-diastolic volumes (LVEDV, RVEDV), end-systolic volumes (LVESV, RVESV), and left ventricular muscle mass (LVMM) were determined using previously developed techniques. Results. Adequate contrast opacification in both ventricular cavities was obtained in all patients at baseline and at follow-up. Values were 323.4 +/- 99.3 (mean +/- SD) and 332.6 +/- 105.4 ml for LVEDV, 249.3 +/- 75.6 and 250.5 +/- 79.3 mi for LVESV, 236.8 +/- 56.2 and 251.2 +/- 72.7 mi for RVEDV, 179.8 +/- 76.4 and 188.3 +/- 64.0 mi for RVESV, and 207.7 +/- 70.6 and 204.9 +/- 81.9 g for LVMM (p = NS, respectively, paired t-test). Linear regression analysis correlating biventricular volumes and left ventricular muscle mass measurements in the serial scans yielded r-values in the range of 0.89 to 0.95 and a small SEE. The SE of the mean differences between left and right ventricular ejection fraction measurements was 1 point, respectively. Conclusion. EBCT studies of ventricular volumes in patients with dilated hearts and congestive heart failure are highly reproducible and offer the potential for serial assessment of these patients in whom quantitation of ventricular volumes has been shown to be of prognostic value.