Abstract
Eur J Echocardiography Abstracts Supplement, December 2006 Background: The prevalence and clinical significance of atherosclerotic aortic disease has now been documented in a variety of patient populations by use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The use of standardised and automatic software for measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) could be useful in daily practice. Aim: To evaluate a new parametric quantification software used in digitalised TEE aortic images. Methods: The QLA 2.0 ® (Philips) allows detection of the borders from different structures and selecting a region of interest analysis (ROI) is able to determine the anatomic interface between intima and media. The study population comprised 31 consecutive patients (62±16 years) referred for TEE. The images of the aortic arch (Aa) (0ae) and the descendent aorta (dA) (90ae) were digitalised and saved. The offline analyses were made with the QLAB software version 2.0 ®. We used two ROI (10 and 20 mm) to automatically define the IMT. When the optimal image definition was less than 80% (value determined by the software), we proceeded with visual determination of the IMT. Results: The medium IMT determined in the Aa with a 10 mm ROI was 1.76±1.04 mm, with a medium optimal image definition of 85% (17 determined automatically, 14 determined visually). At the same level the medium IMT with a 20 mm ROI was 1.81±0.88 mm, with a medium optimal image definition of 86% (12 determined automatically, 18 determined visually). The medium IMT determined in the dA with a 10 mm ROI was 1.88±1.23 mm, with a medium optimal image definition of 92% (19 determined automatically, 11 determined visually). At the same level the medium IMT with a 20 mm ROI was 1.84±1.19 mm, with a medium optimal image definition of 89% (18 determined automatically, 11 determined visually). We were not able to measure four IMT (one with 20 mm ROI at aortic arch level and one with 10 mm ROI and two with 20 mm ROI at the descendent aorta level) because of deficient intima-media interface definition. Conclusion: The QLAB version 2.0 ® software can be used in TEE images to determine the IMT of the Aa and the dA. The automatic IMT assessment was more feasible at the descendent aorta.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
