Comparison of selective left ventriculograms with levophase ("forward") ventriculograms in patients with coronary artery disease.

In order to compare levophase ("forward") ventriculograms to standard (selective) LV cineangiography, 10 patients with coronary artery disease were studied by (1) selective injection of contrast medium into the LV cavity followed by (2) injection into the right ventricle and filming the levophase. Biplane cineangiograms were used to calculate the end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), end-systolic volume index (ESVI), stroke volume index (SVI), and ejection fraction (EF). Values for the two respective techniques were then compared. Not only were correlation coefficients for the two methods low, but there was also a statistically significant difference between the two SVI (66 +/- 26 ml. for selective and 53 +/- 25 ml. for levophase injection; p less than 0.02) and the two EF (67 +/- 7 per cent for selective and 52 +/- 12 per cent for levophase injection; p less than 0.01). Levophase cineangiograms therefore significantly underestimate the LV ejection fraction when compared to standard (selective) LV cineangiography. These differences must be considered when evaluating greatly divergent interinstitutional survival rates for patients with low EF who undergo coronary artery bypass surgery, and when selecting candidates for bypass surgery on the basis of the angiographic data.