Quantitative Left Ventriculography Research Articles

A randomised double-blind control study of early intracoronary autologous bone marrow cell infusion in acute myocardial infarction (REGENERATE-AMI)

IntroductionAcute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide despite the latest therapeutic advances designed to decrease myocardial injury. Preclinical and emerging clinical evidence show that...

Clinical and angiographic outcomes after bare metal stents implantation for the patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: insights from multicenter trials

The general restenosis rate after emergent coronary stent implantation for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in Japan has yet to be fully established. Totally 696 STEMI patients without left main disease were enrolled for either ASPARAGUS (22 centers) or VAMPIRE (23 centers) trial. Out of these, 202 lesions in 202 patients with baseline and 6-month follow-up quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) data after emergent bare metal stent (BMS) implantation without either aspiration or distal protection devices were enrolled for this study. QCA was performed at an independent core laboratory. Minimal lumen diameter (MLD), reference diameter (RD) and diameter stenosis (DS) were estimated at pre, post and follow-up phase. Left ventricular ejection fraction was evaluated by quantitative left ventriculography. Six-month binary restenosis (DS >50%) rate and target lesion revascularization (TLR) were investigated. Six-month binary restenosis and TLR was found in 39 (19.3%) and 32 (18.6%), respectively. In the patients with binary restenosis, smaller pre-RD (2.46±0.54 vs. 2.68±0.73mm, p=0.03), post-MLD (2.08±0.54 vs. 2.34±0.52mm, p=0.009), acute gain (1.90±0.49 vs. 2.13±0.61mm, p=0.001) and follow-up RD (2.44±0.67 vs. 2.71±0.63mm, p=0.03) were observed. When the lesions are divided into quartiles of pre-RD (≤2.16, 2.18-2.61, 2.62-3.11, ≥3.12mm), the binary restenosis rates were 26, 25.5, 16 and 10%, and TLR rate were 19.5, 29.6, 13.6 and 12%, respectively. RD was smaller at pre and follow-up than post phase (pre: 2.64±0.71mm; post: 2.89±0.57mm; follow-up: 2.66±0.64mm; pre vs. post: p<0.001; post vs. follow-up: p=0.001; pre vs. follow-up: p=1.00). In this study cohort, the binary restenosis and TLR rate were considerable in patients with BMS for STEMI. The decrement of RD at follow-up period was common and it indicates that vessel shrinkage post PCI for acute myocardial infarction may be a myth. TLR rate was more than the binary restenosis rate in two quartiles of pre-RD. Robust guideline regarding stent type and revascularization for STEMI patients should be established.

Postinfarction left-ventricular aneurysm: regional stress, function, and remodeling after aneurysmectomy.

Left-ventricular (LV) aneurysm formation after myocardial infarction (MI) leads to LV remodeling with global and regional cardiac dysfunction. LV aneurysmectomy (LVA) can often improve LV function, but changes of regional wall stress and systolic function in the noninfarcted segment before and after the operation remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of LVA on regional stress and systolic function in the noninfarcted region and to examine this procedure's impact on the LV remodeling in patients with LV aneurysm after myocardial infarction (MI). Using quantitative left ventriculography and pressure measurements, 11 patients with an anterior LV aneurysm were studied before and 8 months after standard linear repair (LVA group), and 10 patients with an anterior transmural infarction who received coronary artery bypass grafting were also studied (CABG group) in an attempt to separate the effects of aneurysmectomy from the effects of bypass surgery. Regional end-systolic (ESS) and end-diastolic (EDS) stresses of the contractile segment (CS) were computed by Janz's method. The total ejection fraction (EF) increased (p < 0.01) in the LVA group, whereas it did not change in the CABG group at 8 months after surgery. Both the end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indices of CS decreased (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) in the LVA group, whereas both remained unchanged in the CABG group. The mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (mean Vcf) of CS increased substantially (p < 0.01) in the LVA group and, less significantly (p < 0.05), in the CABG group. Regional ESS and EDS decreased (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) in the LVA group, whereas both remained unchanged in the CABG group. The increase in mean Vcf correlated strongly with the magnitude of decrease in ESS (r = -0.63, p < 0.01) in the LVA group but not in the CABG group. LVA can reduce regional afterload and improve ejection performance of the noninfarcted myocardium in many patients with a large anterior LV aneurysm and, moreover, may favorably affect the LV remodeling process after MI.

Comparing Wall Motion Quantification Methods by Numerical Classification

Quantitative left ventriculography has been studied for many years as a method for assessing left ventricular function. All currently used quantitative left ventriculography methods evaluate functional status based on different assumptions concerning the time course of contraction, shape of the ventricular silhouette, and/or fixed points of reference. Commonly, analyses are performed using only end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) frames. However, myocardial infarction manifests itself not only in spatial parameters, e.g., area of affected myocardium, but also in temporal parameters, e.g., deviation from a synchronous contraction during systole. ED/ES comparisons omit information contained in other frames of the cardiac cycle. Therefore, each single method has a limited reliability or usefulness. The present study used several quantitative methods, fitted curvatures, correlation coefficients of the percentage of radial shortening from end diastole to end systole, and Fourier coefficients of the polar coordinates of the endocardial contour points. Features were derived from a sequence of ventriculograms of a whole cardiac cycle from patients with anterior myocardial infarction (AMI group) and without (NV group) to address three major goals: (1) Determine features derived from LV-grams that discriminate between the two patient groups and do so with the highest accuracy, "recognition rate," or lowest error rates; (2) compare the accuracy of features generated by different quantitative methods; and (3) group features generated by the different quantitative methods to achieve higher accuracy. The discriminant capabilities of several feature sets were tested on a patient sample containing 102 patients (63 patients with AMI, 39 patients with no infarction) using numerical classification. The numerical classification had a Supervised Learning design with two cardiologists assigning the patients to the two patient groups. Each quantification method showed a characteristic pattern for detecting pathologic or normal wall motion. Combining features generated by different extraction methods into one feature set improved the correct classification rates.

Assessment of global and regional myocardial function using the Minnesota [formula omitted] codes : A comparison with clinical ECG interpretation

The authors investigated 244 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease by coronary angiography and quantitative left ventriculography to compare the Minnesota Q/QS code (MC) with clinical electrocardiographic (ECG) interpretation. Patients who were suspected to have wall motion abnormalities for reasons other than coronary artery disease for possible regional wall motion abnormalities were excluded. Out of 244 patients, 159 (65%) had wall motion abnormalities. The sensitivity for detecting wall motion abnormalities was 21% for MC 1.1 and 51% for MC 1.1-3, whereas clinical ECG interpretation showed a sensitivity of 73%. Specificity for MC 1.1 was 93% and for MC 1.1-3 it was 84%. Specificity of clinical ECG interpretation (84%) was comparable. Compared to the MC, clinical ECG interpretation showed a stronger association with left ventricular ejection fraction, number of segments with abnormal wall motion, and severity of wall motion abnormality. Anterior myocardial infarction presented more often with clinical ECG changes (71%) and with a Q/QS code (50%) than inferior myocardial infarction (61% and 41%, respectively). In summary, in contrast to clinical ECG criteria, the MC has high specificity at the expense of a low sensitivity.

Differentiation of regional perfusion and fatty acid uptake in zones of myocardial injury

The relative myocardial distribution of 201Tl and modified fatty acid (123I-labelled 3-methyl-p-[iodo]-phenyl pentadecanoic acid, MFA) was determined in eight patients with unstable angina (UA) and six patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with reperfusion therapy within 4.1 h (MI). The results of radionuclide imaging were correlated with coronary angiography and quantitative left ventriculography performed within 10 days of the radionuclide procedures. Zones of injury were identified as areas with diminished 201Tl uptake distal to sites of coronary narrowing. A nearly parallel reduction in regional fatty acid concentration was observed in these areas. Comparison of the regional distributions of the two agents revealed subtle differences in their distributions in the ischaemic zones. Three patterns were recognized: (a) MFA uptake greater than Tl (MFA greater than Tl), (b) matched decrease of MFA and Tl (MFA = Tl), (c) MFA uptake less than Tl (MFA less than Tl). Seven of eight patients with UA had normokinesis or hypokinesis on quantitative left ventriculography. Five of the seven showed the MFA greater than Tl pattern, while one had the MFA less than Tl pattern and one had the MFA = Tl pattern. The eighth patient with UA had akinesis and the MFA = Tl pattern. All six patients with acute infarction had akinesis on ventriculography. One of these patients had the MFA greater than Tl pattern, two had the MFA = Tl pattern and three had the MFA less than Tl pattern. These results suggest that fatty acid and thallium have grossly similar distributions in areas of acute myocardial ischaemia. On careful inspection, zones of slight relative excess fatty acid concentration are observed more often in areas of acute ischaemia with normal wall motion.

Left ventricular mechanical efficiency in coronary artery disease

The effect of coronary artery disease and prior myocardial infarction on cardiac energetics was determined by measuring left ventricular myocardial blood flow, oxygen consumption (MVO2), efficiency and ejection phase indexes in 36 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Eight control patients with normal coronary arteriograms and normal left ventricular function, 15 patients with coronary artery disease without prior myocardial infarction and 13 patients with coronary disease and prior myocardial infarction (greater than 6 months) were studied. Left ventricular efficiency was calculated from left ventricular work, myocardial blood flow (measured by clearance of intracoronary xenon-133), and aortic and coronary sinus oxygen content. Left ventricular volumes, mass and ejection phase indexes were measured by quantitative left ventriculography. Left ventricular myocardial blood flow per 100 g/min was reduced in patients with coronary artery disease (49.0 +/- 8; p less than 0.01) and in patients with myocardial infarction (51.6 +/- 10; p less than 0.05) compared with control subjects (62.4 +/- 16), but total left ventricular flow was not reduced because of increased left ventricular mass. As a result, MVO2 did not differ significantly for the three patient groups (control 13.3, coronary artery disease 14.0 and myocardial infarction 14.3 ml/min). In the patients with myocardial infarction, left ventricular work index was reduced (2.4 versus 4.0 kg X m/m2 per min in the control group; p less than 0.001), causing efficiency to be reduced (15.9 versus 28.8% in the control group; p less than 0.001). Decreased efficiency correlated with ejection fraction (r = 0.54), mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (MVcf) (r = 0.45) and mean percent chordal shortening (r = 0.43) (all p less than 0.01). These data indicate that in control patients with normal coronary arteriograms, left ventricular myocardial efficiency averages 29%; in patients with coronary disease without myocardial infarction, left ventricular MVO2 and efficiency are in the normal range; in patients with prior myocardial infarction, left ventricular efficiency is significantly reduced as a result of diminished left ventricular work and normal MVO2; and reduced efficiency after myocardial infarction correlates with reduced ejection phase indexes.

Computer analysis of cross sectional echocardiogram for quantitative evaluation of left ventricular asynergy in myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular asynergy in myocardial infarction was assessed quantitatively by computer analysis of the cross sectional echocardiogram. Short axis cross sectional images of the left ventricle at the levels of the mitral valve, papillary muscle, and apex were recorded by a phased array sector scanner in 30 patients with healed myocardial infarction and 15 normal controls. Endocardial and epicardial short axis images of the left ventricle were transferred from video tape to a minicomputer through the interface circuits, then digitised and processed automatically by a minicomputer. Automatic edge detection of the endocardial and epicardial wall was performed by applying sequential steps including smoothing, second derivative technique, dynamic thresholding, and approximation of boundaries by a spline curve. To quantify regional wall motion, the short axis cross sectional left ventricular wall of each level was divided into eight octants with eight axes at 45 degrees angles from the initial standard axis which was constructed from the geometric centre of the end diastolic left ventricular cavity to the posterior end of the right side of the interventricular septum. Segmental hemiaxis, segmental area, segmental wall thickness, and those changes during cardiac cycle were measured and calculated in each segment automatically by a computer. Regional contractility of the left ventricle was evaluated by percentage systolic changes of the segmental hemiaxis, area, and wall thickness. These values were significantly reduced in the infarcted left ventricular wall as defined by left ventriculography and electrocardiography. Moreover, percentage hemiaxis changes obtained by quantitative left ventriculography described by Herman and colleagues correlated well with those using our analytical method of cross sectional echocardiography in the corresponding segments. The geometric centre of the left ventricular cavity determined by the computer moved slightly towards the anterior wall during systole in normal subjects, possibly reflecting the anterior swinging motion of the heart. The geometric centre of the left ventricular cavity in myocardial infarction moved towards the infarcted wall, showing that the floating reference system was inferior to the fixed reference system for the quantification of abnormal wall motion in myocardial infarction. In conclusion, a computer analysis of the short axis cross sectional echocardiogram of the left ventricle using the fixed reference system has shown its ability to evaluate left ventricular contraction abnormalities, especially systolic wall thickening, which is relatively free of arbitrary interpretation of the wall motion caused by the anterior swinging motion of the heart.

Mitral valve insufficiency in coronary heart disease

On 121 consecutive patients with coronary heart disease coronary angiography and quantitative left ventricular angiography was done with the view to aortocoronary bypass surgery. 24 (20%) had mitral regurgitation (MR) by angiographic criteria, 20 of them had MR grade I/IV, four had MR II/IV. In 23 out of 24 patients with MR quantitative left ventriculography revealed localized contraction disorders. MR was clinically diagnosed in 15 out of 24 patients. In eleven patients (48%) contraction abnormalities were localized in the inferior wall, in five cases (22%) in the anterior wall and in seven cases (30%) both in the anterior and posterior wall. Of the latter group patients with MR showed a significantly lower ejection fraction than patients without MR (p less than 0.05). Furthermore the MR-group showed larger akinetic areas, preferentially located in the inferior segments 0 degrees-240 degrees and in the anterolateral segments 60 degrees-90 degrees. Three vessel disease was more frequent in this group (43%) than in the group without MR (23%). Patients with inferior wall asynergy frequently showed combined stenosis or occlusion of the right and circumflex coronary artery. In conclusion, MR in coronary heart disease is most often associated with localized contraction disorders of the left ventricle; posterior wall infarctions, multiple vessel disease and large akinetic areas are more frequent. However, the hemodynamic significance of MR in patients with chronic myocardial infarction is usually insignificant.

The Haemodynamic, Histopathological and Hormonal Features of Alcoholic Cardiac Beriberi

Five cases of cardiac beriberi occurring in chronic alcoholics are described. The clinical diagnosis was based on the presence of biventricular failure, low dietary intake of thiamine and the therapeutic response to oral thiamine. Complicating cardiac disease was excluded by haemodynamic studies, left ventriculography; coronary angiography and endomyocardial biopsy. Haemodynamic measurements including quantitative left ventriculography are reported. They indicate that left ventricular function is depressed despite elevated cardiac output. Biopsy material was studied by light and electron microscopy. No lesion specific to beriberi was detected by either technique although the biopsies were quantitatively abnormal. The histological changes resemble those in early reports based on necropsy material, and consist of vacuolation and intercellular oedema in the early stages with myofibre hypertrophy, fibrosis and cellular infiltration in the chronic cases. The transketolase test and response to intravenous thiamine during catheter studies are valuable diagnostic tests. Plasma renin, angiotensin II and aldosterone levels were lower than in patients with low output heart failure. The incidence of cardiac beriberi appears to be greater than is generally realized.

Progress in Cardiology: 4

Progress in Cardiology , written specifically for the internist-cardiologist, reviews selected current knowledge in clinical and laboratory cardiology. Diagnostic tools useful in patient management help form the basis for the first section. Craige utilizes echocardiography and phonocardiography in discussing the genesis of heart sounds and heart murmurs. The murmurs associated with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis are unfortunately not well explained. Criley refers to echocardiography and ventriculography in presenting the prolapsing mitral valve-leaflet syndrome. The pathophysiology of this common cardiac abnormality is well explained and illustrated. While these patients experience cardiac arrhythmias, they rarely die suddenly and most patients have a benign prognosis. The chapter Quantitative Left Ventriculography stresses the importance of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction determinations in the clinical evaluation of cardiac patients. Formulae for volume determinations are reviewed. Physicians who work in the catheterization laboratory will find the chapter useful. The chapter on digitalis toxicity evaluates the electrophysiological

Detection of residual myocardial function in coronary artery disease using post-extra systolic potentiation.

Improved global or segmental wall motion following revascularization suggests potential reversibility of ischemic left ventricular dysfunction in coronary artery disease (CAD). This study evaluates the effectiveness of post-extra systolic potentiation (PESP) to detect latent residual contractile function. Quantitative left ventriculography was performed in 15 patients with CAD (including seven with significant asynergy) and in three normal controls. During the ventriculogram, a single extra-systole was introduced by an R-wave coupled stimulator (R-stimulus interval averaged 398 msec, with an average mA of 2.4). PESP improved segmental axis shortening in 51 of 55 normal axes and 15 of 17 hypokinetic or akinetic axes. It also increased both ejection fraction and mean rate of circumferential fiber shortening in 17 of 18 patients. No significant arrhythmia occurred with this technique. A single interposed beat with PESP in one ventriculogram is a safe, effective method to detect residual potential contractile function in myocardium that may be hypokinetic or akinetic under conditions of the study.

Quantitative left ventriculography in the immediate postoperative period after aorto-coronary bypass

Quantitative left ventriculography in the immediate postoperative period after aorto-coronary bypass