Abstract
Alterations in left ventricular (LV) mass characterize many congenital and acquired cardiac diseases. Gated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a nonionizing, tomographic technique which permits delineation of cardiac morphology without contrast agents. To test the accuracy of MR-derived LV mass determinations, we imaged 10 anesthetized closed-chest dogs (median weight 20.3 kg, range 9-23 kg) using a 0.5 tesla, superconducting MR system with ECG gating. Transaxial images were acquired at end-diastole using a spin echo sequence with an echo time (TE) of either 13 or 20 msec. The heart was imaged sequentially from apex to base using a slice thickness of 10 mm. Endocardial and epicardial edges in each image were identified using an operator-interactive computer program, based upon a half-contour definition of edge points. The surface area of each cardiac slice was determined by planimetry and, after correcting for specific gravity (x 1.05), the individual slices were summed providing calculated LV mass. Post-mortem LV weights (median 83 gm, range 37.6-132.7 gm) were compared to calculated masses by linear regression analysis. We found a close correspondence between MR-derived and actual LV mass (r = .95, MR mass =.97 true mass + 6.2 gm, SEE = 7.8 gm). Thus, gated magnetic resonance imaging is capable of accurately determining in vivo LV mass. This noninvasive imaging technique should be clinically applicable in a variety of settings in which alterations of LV mass occur.
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Florentine, M., Grosskreutz, C., Chang, W. et al. 100 GATED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE IN VIVO HEART: DETERMINATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR MASS IN DOGS. Pediatr Res 19, 127 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00130
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00130