[Left ventricular volume curve analysis using gated blood pool emission computed tomography].

Analysis of the left ventricular volume curve was performed using gated blood pool emission computed tomography (SPECT) in six patients with old myocardial infarction (MI), five with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), three with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and five normal controls (N). Image collection was synchronized with the QRS complex, and each cardiac cycle was divided into nine to 10 frames. In each frame, left ventricular volume was determined based on the number of voxels above the threshold level (50% cut-off level), and the volume curve was fitted to the third harmonics of Fourier analysis. From the fitted curve, the peak ejection rate (PER), the peak filling rate (PFR), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and ejection fraction (EF) were calculated. 1. There were good correlations between SPECT and the conventional gated blood pool (MUGA) for PER (r = 0.694, p less than 0.005), PFR (r = 0.527, p less than 0.025) and EF (r = 0.682, p less than 0.005). 2. PER in MI (2.21 +/- 0.55, mean +/- SD) was lower than in N (3.68 +/- 0.80, p less than 0.05) and HCM (4.85 +/- 2.39, p less than 0.05), and EF in MI (36.6 +/- 6.4) was lower than in HCM (68.7 +/- 23.7, p less than 0.05). 3. There were good correlations between EDVs (y = 1.11x + 5.71, r = 0.877, p less than 0.01), and ESVs (y = 1.05x - 3.88, r = 0.876, p less than 0.01) estimated by MUGA and SPECT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)