HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nichols, K. Articles by Cochoff, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nichols, K. Articles by Cochoff, S.

First-Pass Ventricular Ejection Fraction Using a Single-Crystal Nuclear Camera

Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
Christ Hospital and Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois
General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Correspondence: For correspondence and reprints contact: Kenneth Nichols, PhD, Division of Cardiology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Amsterdam Ave. at 114th St., New York, NY 10025.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the reliability of ejection fractions obtained from first-pass radionuclide ventriculography with a large field-of-view tomographic single-crystal gamma camera. Methods: A SPECT camera had its electronics redesigned to improve counting efficiency and was equipped with an experimental ultra-high sensitivity collimator. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured in 28 patients by 30° RAO first-pass imaging and by "best septal view" LAO planar equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography on a conventional small field of view Anger camera. For 28 other patients, first-pass ejection fractions were compared to multicrystal gamma camera values. Visual analysis was performed to judge clinical accept-ability of first-pass images for identification of wall-motion abnormalities. Results: Linear regression analysis of first-pass against equilibrium ejection fraction demonstrated good correlation (r = 0.92; slope = 0.90; intercept = 3.8; s.e.e. = 6.4%). First-pass ejection fraction values also correlated linearly with multicrystal camera values for the left ventricle (r = 0.94; slope = 1.05; intercept = 1.3; s.e.e. = 5.3%). For a subgroup of 19 patients, single-crystal camera right ventricle ejection fraction demonstrated good correlation with multicrystal camera values (r = 0.82; slope = 1.15; intercept = 1.3; s.e.e. = 6.1%). Inter-observer variability correlated as r = 0.99 for LVEF ejection fraction and r = 0.92 for RVEF. Chi-square analysis of single-crystal first-pass image visual scores versus those from the gated equilibrium acquisitions showed close agreement (p < 10^–8). Conclusions: The evaluated camera/collimator system measured left and right ventricular ejection fraction accurately. Lung frame correction and dual regions were superior to paraventricular background correction and a fixed end-diastolic region.

Key Words: ejection fraction • first pass • single-crystal gamma camera • processing options

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Gepstein, G. Hayam, S. Shpun, and S. A. Ben-Haim Hemodynamic Evaluation of the Heart With a Nonfluoroscopic Electromechanical Mapping Technique Circulation, November 18, 1997; 96(10): 3672 - 3680. [Abstract] [Full Text]