Abstract

Phased-array ultrasonic imaging systems produce real-time sectional images of the left ventricle. To quantify left ventricular function, a light-pen-based system was developed using a minicomputer to analyze the geometry of ultrasound images and measure left ventricular volume, ejection fraction, and regional contraction. System accuracy was evaluated by comparing measurements abtained from left ventricular cineangiograms at cardiac catheterization on a series of 25 patients to echocardiographic left ventricular long- and short-axis linear dimensions (r = 0.92, S.E.E. = 0.67 cm), end-diastolic volume (r = 0.84, S.E.E. = 45 cm3), and ejection fraction (r = 0.80, S.E.E. = 0.10). Five patients from the study population with electrocardiographically documented transmural myocardial infarcts had regional contraction abnormalities detected by this analytic approach. Quantitative application of two-dimensional echocardiography appears to be a useful noninvasive method of evaluating left ventricular ejection fraction and has potential to define regional contraction abnormalities objectively.