Quantification of cardiac valvular regurgitation

The use of radionuclide tracers to perform high count-rate dynamic studies of the heart has added new dimensions to the quantitation of valvular insufficiency. By using small volumes of concentrated radionuclide, it is now possible to introduce a bolus of radioactivity into the right or left atrium without performing arterial catheterization. An Anger camera interfaced to a dedicated minicomputer system permits rapid accumulation, storage and analysis of the data by the application of pulsatile modelling concepts for the determination of total, forward and regurgitant ejection fractions as well as the end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes of the atrium and ventricle. This paper describes the clinical methodology and results of the application of such a model to radionuclide angiocardiographic data. (author)