Transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography is as good as magnetic resonance imaging in measuring dynamic changes in left ventricular volume during the heart cycle in children.

AIMS

The purpose of the study was to assess the dynamic changes in left ventricular (LV) volume by transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and to compare the results with those obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty healthy children were studied by digitized 3DE and Doppler, and by MRI. Three-dimensional echocardiography of LV was performed by using rotational acquisition from the transthoracic apical view with ECG gating and without respiratory gating. The acquisition of 3DE data took 10-15s. Three-dimensional echocardiography gave similar values to MRI for EDV, ESV and LVM measurements, and the results correlated well. Peak emptying rates by 3DE and MRI were -236.6 and -169.6ml/s and peak filling rates were 215.0 and 215.9ml/s, respectively. Dynamic changes of LV volumes during the heart cycle were detectable with both methods.

CONCLUSION

Digitized 3DE performed in the outpatient clinic and MRI were both useful methods for studying the physiological volume changes in left ventricle in children. These methods may be used for further study of the systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle in various clinical conditions.