Reliability in Using Routine Coronary CT Angiography with Retrospective Electrocardiographic Gating for the Comprehensive Functional Evaluation of the Left Ventricle

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of comprehensive left ventricle (LV) functional parameters on routine coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) based on two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). Materials and Methods Ninety-nine patients who underwent CCTA accompanied by 2DE were included in the study. The volumetric LV systolic functional parameters were acquired from 10-phase reconstruction of CCTA data. By differentiating the time-LV volume curve by time domain and measuring mitral valvular orifice areas, transmitral time-velocity curves were drawn and the early (E) to late (A) mitral inflow peak velocities ratio (E/A ratio) was acquired. By measuring a longitudinal jerking velocity of the mitral valvular annulus on a four-chamber view, the mitral peak velocity of early filling (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E') ratio (E/E' ratio) was evaluated. All functional parameters were compared with the 2DE results. Results The LV end diastolic volume, LV end systolic volume, ejection fraction, stroke volume, cardiac output, and LV myocardial mass measured by CCTA and 2DE showed moderate to strong correlations (r = 0.732, 0.821, 0.416, 0.394, 0.328, and 0.764, respectively; p < 0.05). The E/A and E/E’ ratios showed strong correlation between CCTA and echocardiography (r = 0.807 and 0.751, respectively; p < 0.05). Conclusion When CCTA is performed with retrospective electrocardiographic gating, additional information about the LV function can be acquired as reliably as with echocardiography.

Keywords

• multidetector computed tomography
• echocardiography
• systole
• diastole
• heart ventricles