Dual-source CT assessment of ventricular function in healthy and infarcted myocardium: An animal study

Purpose

To assess global and regional ventricular function in the presence of myocardial infarction (MI) using cardiac dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in comparison to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials and methods

Fourteen pigs (58.6 ± 8.9 kg) were included in this study. In seven animals acute MI was induced by temporary balloon occlusion of the left circumflex artery. Thereafter, DSCT and MR imaging were performed with standardized examination protocols. Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumes, ejection fraction (EF), peak filling rate (PFR), and peak ejection rate (PER) as well as LV myocardial mass were calculated. LV wall motion was visually assessed from cine loops. Data was analyzed using Bland-Altman plots, Lin's concordance-correlation coefficient (ρ_c) and weighted kappa statistics.

Results

Ventricular volumes and mass as determined by DSCT correlated well with MR imaging. Mean LV-EF was 49.4 ± 16.5% on DSCT and 50.0 ± 16.1% on MR imaging (ρ_c = 0.9928). The corresponding mean RV-EF results were 45.9 ± 10.6% and 45.8 ± 10.6% (ρ_c = 0.9969), respectively. Bland-Altman plots revealed no systematic errors, but PER and PFR showed a relevant scattering. Regional wall motion scores agreed in 216/224 myocardial segments (κ = 0.925).

Conclusion

DSCT permits the reliable assessment of global and regional function in healthy and infarcted myocardium, but is not yet suited for the assessment of dynamic functional parameters like PER and PFR.