Assessment of left ventricular myocardial function using 16-slice multidetector-row computed tomography: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography.

Objective: To assess functional parameters using multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and echocardiography and to compare the results with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: End-diastolic-volume (EDV), end-systolic-volume (ESV), stroke-volume (SV), ejection-fraction (EF), and myocardial mass (MM) were calculated based on CT data sets from 52 patients. Echocardiography was performed in 24 of the 52 patients. The results from MDCT and echocardiography were compared with MRI.

Results: A strong correlation between MDCT and MRI (r=0.66-0.90) was found for all parameters. Echocardiography revealed a low or moderate correlation (0.05-0.59). Compared to MRI the average differences with MDCT were for EDV 15.1 ml, ESV 10.6 ml, SV 4.5 ml, EF 1.8%, and MM 8.2 g, for EDV determined by echocardiography 36.2 ml, ESV 6.8 ml, and EF 13.9%. Bland-Altman analysis revealed acceptable limits of agreement between MRI and MDCT.

Conclusions: MDCT enables reliable quantification of left ventricular function. Echocardiography was found to have only a moderate agreement of functional parameters with MRI.