Radionuclide ventriculography: evaluation of automated and visual methods for regional wall motion analysis.

Abstract

Regional wall motion (RWM) abnormalities are sensitive indicators of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, but quantitation of RWM with gated radionuclide ventriculography (RVG) limited, particularly in the left anterior oblique (LAO) projection. Regional LV performance was studied in 18 patients undergoing LAO RVG immediately prior to contrast ventriculography (CVG). Wall motion was analyzed by semiautomated and visual methods using several coordinate systems. For semiautomated methods, RVG and CVG wall motion were closely related in the 90.degree. polar sectors at the apex and posterior wall (r = 0.85) and in the five 45.degree. polar sectors from midseptum through posterior wall (r = 0.82). The basal sectors on RVG had weak relationships to CVG, due to adjacent vascular structures. Semiautomated and visual grades for polar sectors on CVG and RVG were closely related (r = 0.88-0.94). Measured regional wall motion on LAO RVG compared favorably with near-simultaneous CVG in nonoverlapping portions of the LV and allowed objective quantitation of regional LV performance.