[Digital subtraction angiocardiography: accuracy of measuring left ventricular wall thickness and wall volume during intravenous contrast media injection].

A comparison of left ventricular wall thickness and wall volume determined by intravenous digital subtraction angiocardiography and by conventional left ventricular angiocardiography was performed by linear regression analysis: wall thickness: WDDSA = 0.90 X WDLV , Syx = +/- 0.16 cm, r = 0.74; wall volume: WVOLDSA = 0.87 X WVOLLV , Syx = +/- 48 ml, r = 0.85. Compared to the deviation and scatter of corresponding data measured from two consecutive beats in conventional left ventricular angiocardiographies , the error of determination of wall thickness and wall volume, determined by intravenous digital subtraction angiocardiography, is more pronounced. The regression analysis of wall volumes under rest and bicycle exercise evaluated by digital subtraction angiocardiography revealed a similar inaccuracy ( Syx = +/- 46 ml). This is due to faults in recognition of the inner and outer contours of left ventricular wall. Our results show that measurements of left ventricular wall thickness and wall volumes by means of intravenous digital subtraction angiocardiography can only be performed with greater deviations compared to conventional left ventricular angiocardiograms.