Measurement of ventricular volumes, ejection fraction, mass, and wall stress

Cardiac angiography was introduced initially to provide qualitative information regarding anatomic abnormalities of the cardiovascular system. Subsequently, it became apparent that quantitative information derived from cineangiography could provide insight into functional abnormalities of the heart as well. Direct measurement of ventricular dimension, area, and wall thickness allows calculation of volume, ejection fraction, mass, and wall stress; assessment of volume-time, pressure-volume, and stress-volume relationships provides additional information regarding systolic and diastolic function of the ventricular chambers. The ventricular angiograms obtained by the techniques described in another Chapter can be used to derive quantitative descriptors of ventricular chamber size, mass, and wall stress