Right ventricular volume estimation using an ellipsoidal shell model and single-plane magnetic resonance imaging

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. TO investigate whether accurate right ventricular volumes could be obtained using an ellipsoidal shell model with magnetic resonance (MR) image measurements from a single imaging plane. METHODS. An initial retrospective patient study included 10 patients with congenital cardiac defects who had undergone same-day or next-day radiographic contrast ventriculography. An expanded study included MR scans of a total of 29 patients with congenital cardiac defects. Magnetic resonance scans of 10 healthy volunteers were also included in part of the study. Right ventricular volumes were calculated from (1) model-based calculations using single-plane cine MR imaging, and (2) multislice calculations based on contrast angiography. RESULTS. Regression of angiography-based volumes against MR-based volumes showed high correlation (r = 0.97, see = 12.5 mL) and slope near unity. Regression of right against left stroke volumes, both calculated from MR data, showed excellent correlation (r = 0.90, see = 11.6 ml) and slope near unity. CONCLUSIONS. The ellipsoidal shell model can be used to reliably estimate right ventricular volume using single-plane MR images.