Cross-sectional echocardiography. I. Analysis of mathematic models for quantifying mass of the left ventricle in dogs

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1979-11, Vol.60 (5), p.1104-1113
• Main Authors: Wyatt, H L, Heng, M K, Meerbaum, S, Hestenes, J D, Cobo, J M, Davidson, R M, Corday, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cardiac Volume; Dogs; Echocardiography; Heart Ventricles - anatomy & histology; Mathematics; Models, Biological; Regression Analysis
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.60.5.1104

Cross-sectional echocardiography was used to quantify left ventricular mass noninvasively in 21 dogs. Short- and long-axis cross-sectional images of the left ventricle were reproducibly traced at endocardial and epicardial borders during stop-motion video-tape replay. We used area, length and diameter measurements to calculate left ventricular mass by seven mathematic models, including the standard formulas used with M-mode echocardiography and cineangiography. Calculated mass was compared with excised weight of the left ventricle by regression and percent error analyses. Formulas using short-axis areas and long-axis length resulted in higher correlation coefficients (0.94--0.95) and lower mean errors (6--7%) than for standard formulas. Since short-axis areas account for regional left ventricular irregularities, noninvasive quantification of left ventricular mass by cross-sectional echocardiography in dogs is most accurate with formulas using short-axis areas.