Length-based Fourier analysis in the pre-excitation syndrome.

Length-based Fourier analysis (LFA) was applied to tomographic gated blood-pool study, and phase and percent-shortening diagrams were generated. In 22 patients with pre-excitation syndrome and ten control subjects, the most basal short-axis section was used for tomographic analysis. When the initial abnormal phase was considered as the location of accessory conduction pathway (ACP), correct diagnosis for the localization of ACP was given in 19 of 22 patients. In ten control subjects, no specific segments of initial phase were noted, although six patients had initial phase in the septal or paraseptal segments. The tomographic LFA was more effective for pinpointing the segment of the earliest phase than tomographic count-based phase analysis. The LFA provided objective three-dimensional information for contraction sequence. Because movements of ventricular edges are essential in tomography, the LFA was considered to be a reasonable approach for the analysis of tomographic gated blood-pool study.