Digital intravenous ventriculography. Comparison of volumes from mask-mode and nonsubtracted images with thermodilution and sonocardiometric measurements.

Left ventricular volumes calculated from mask-mode (MM) images obtained by digital intravenous ventriculography (DIV) were compared with volumes determined from direct contrast images (CV), thermodilution and sonomicrometer measurements in six anesthetized dogs in which volumes were varied by isoproterenol and phenylephrine infusions. Short and long axis sonomicrometer crystals allowed continuous measurement of cardiac size and function. The MM and CV ejection fractions and volumes correlated well with each other (r greater than or equal to 0.96) through the MM volumes consistently underestimated the CV volumes by 12 +/- 3%. Analyzing each dog individually, both CV and MM volumes and ejection fractions correlated well with sonomicrometer results. In addition CV and MM estimates of stroke volume correlated well (r greater than or equal to 0.91) with the thermodilution values, although the CV values exceeded the thermodilution value by 17 +/- 4%. We conclude that MM analysis of left ventricular function correlates well with standard measures of cardiac dimensional changes and agrees with, though underestimates, the simultaneous nonsubtracted contrast ventriculographic images.