Evaluation of left ventricular volumes calculated from the single plane area length method by radionuclide angiography using a 30deg slant hole collimator

Using a 30deg slant hole collimator, first pass radionuclide angiographic images in the rigt anterior oblique and ECG gated cardiac blood pool images in a modified left anterior oblique were taken in 20 patients in order to obtain absolute left ventricular volumes. Left ventricular end-diastolic volumes were caluculated using the single plane area length method, with the long axis of the left ventricule corrected by the first pass radionuclide angiographic image and the gated cardiac blood pool image. Left ventricular ejection fractions were determined from the ventricular time activity curve. Left ventricular end-systolic volumes were calculated using the end-diastolic volume and ejection fraction. The results of these radionuclide angiographic studies were compared with measurements obtained by contrast venticulography. Correlation coefficients were between the two methods 0.91 for both end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, and 0.86 for ejection fraction. This study showed excellent correlations between the two mehtods. We conclude that radionuclide angiography by the slant hole collimator can be easily used to estimate actual left ventricular volumes in clinical routine studies. (author)