Pre- and postoperative assessment of left ventricular function by magnetic resonance imaging and 2-D-echocardiography in patients undergoing left ventricular aneurysmectomy.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) aneurysms may complicate myocardial infarctions. Reliable quantification of LV functional parameters is mandatory to predict clinical outcome in patients undergoing LV aneurysmectomy. We compared global LV function measured by magnetic resonance (MR) and 2-D-echocardiography in patients before and after aneurysmectomy. METHODS: 31 patients (23 male), mean age 64 (range 35 - 85) years with an LV aneurysm (25/31 anterior MI, 5/31 inferior MI, 1/31 both) were enrolled. MR and echocardiography were performed directly before and 3 - 65 (median 8) days after surgery. MR studies were performed on a 1.5 Tesla scanner. End-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and diameters (EDV/ESV, EDD/ESD), ejection fraction (EF) and stroke volume (SV) were determined. Echocardiography was performed to determine EF, EDD and ESD. NYHA class was assessed before and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: After aneurysmectomy MR analysis showed a decrease in EDV (255 +/- 68 ml to 202 +/- 59 ml) ( p < 0.001) and ESV (186 +/- 71 ml to 134 +/- 53 ml; p < 0.001); EF increased (28 +/- 10 % to 35 +/- 12 %; p < 0.001); EDD/ESD decreased ( p < 0.01). Compared to echocardiography, a low correlation was found in EF before/after surgery r = 0.76/r = 0.69 and ESD r = 0.43/r = 0.60, respectively. In EDD a good correlation was found before surgery (r = 0.81), and a lower correlation after surgery (r = 0.72). NYHA class improved from 3.0 +/- 0.5 before to 1.8 +/- 0.8 after operation ( p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Resection of an LV aneurysm results in a mean improvement of 25 % in LV function, and improved clinical outcome. In asymmetric ventricles with aneurysms MR proved to be superior as a sensitive and non-invasive tool compared to conventional 2-D-echocardiography.

[Left ventricular heart volume determination with fast MRI in breath holding technique: how different are quantitative heart catheter, quantitative MRI and visual echocardiography?]. / Linksventrikuläre Herzvoluminabestimmung mittels schneller MRT in Atemanhaltetechnik: Wie unterschiedlich sind quantitativer Herzkatheter, quantitative MRT und visuelle Echokardiographie?

GOAL: Comparison of fast MRI, echocardiography (Echo), and ventricular angiography (Cath) in the assessment of left ventricular global function. METHODS: Fast MRI in short axis plane, biplane Cath, and 2D Echo were performed in 62 patients [35 coronary artery diseases, 16 acquired valvular diseases (VD), 9 dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM), 1 congenital heart disease and 1 heart transplantation]. Enddiastolic (EDV), endsystolic (ESV), stroke volumes (SV), cardiac output (CO), and ejection fraction (EF) were compared in MRI and Cath. EF was visually estimated in 2D Echo by an experienced observer. RESULTS: In comparison to MRI, Cath overestimated EF by 8.4%, and Echo underestimated EF by 5.6%. The limits of agreement between MRI and Cath in EF were +/- 23.8%, between MRI and Echo +/- 18%, and between Echo and Cath +/- 19.4%. Significant differences were found between Cath and MRI in EDV, SV, and CO, but not for ESV. The best agreement in EF was found in the group with DCM, the worst in the group with VD. CONCLUSION: Important systemic and random errors were found in the comparison of MRI, Echo, and Cath. For therapy decision and follow-up, the methods should not be exchanged unscrupulously.

[Comparison of left and right ventricular ejection and filling parameters of the heart using cine-MRI with breath holding technique. Clinical study of 42 patients with cardiomyopathy and coronary heart disease]. / Vergleich links- und rechtsventrikulärer Auswurf- und Füllungsparameter des Herzens mittels Cine MRT in Atemanhaltetechnik: klinische Studie an 42 Patienten mit Kardiomyopathie und koronarer Herzerkrankung.

PURPOSE: Quantification of left and right ventricular filling and ejection of localized and diffuse heart diseases with fast cine MR imaging in breath-hold technique. METHODS: 42 patients (14 idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM), 13 hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM) and 15 coronary artery diseases (CAD)) and 10 healthy volunteers were examined. Time-volume-curves of three left ventricular and one right ventricular slices were evaluated and peak ejection and filling rates (PER, PFR end-diastolic volume (EDV)/s) time to PER and PFR (TPER, TPFR ms) and time of end-systole (TSYS in % RR-intervall) were calculated. RESULTS: There were significant regional and left-/right-sided differences of the filling and ejection of both ventricles within and between the different groups. In DCM the left ventricular PFR was reduced (DCM 3.1 EDV/s; volunteers 4.9 EDV/s) and Z-SYS prolonged (DCM 50.1%; volunteers 35.4%). In CAD there were localized decreased filling rates in comparison to the normal volunteer group (left ventricle: basal: 2.9 and 6.3 EDV/s, apical: 4.4 and 6.3 EDV/s; right ventricle: 3.6 and 5.7 EDV/s). HCM typically showed an isovolumetric lengthening of the endsystole. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac MR imaging in breath-hold technique is suitable for measuring contraction and relaxation disturbances of localized and diffuse heart diseases by means of ejection and filling volume indices.

[Accuracy of right and left ventricular heart volume and left ventricular muscle mass determination with cine MRI in breath holding technique]. / Genauigkeit der rechts- und linksventrikulären Herzvolumen- und linksventrikulären Muskelmassenbestimmung mittels Cine MRT in Atemanhaltetechnik.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of right- (RV) and left-ventricular (LV) heart volume and muscle mass determinations by cine MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten subjects were examined twice by a segmented, ECG-triggered cine sequence in the short axis plane and breath-hold technique by two independent operators and again 4 weeks later by one of the operators. The contours were evaluated manually by two independent examiners and again four weeks later by one of the examiners. LV and RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, stroke volume, cardiac output, ejection fraction (EF), and left-ventricular muscle mass were compared. RESULTS: The RV evaluation variations (RV-EF: 6.46%) were higher than the LV (LV-EF: 4.46%). The intra-examiner variations were smaller than the inter-examiner variations. The generally operators did not cause a significantly increased variation (LV-EF: 5.77%). In contrast, the repeat examinations at different times did lead to a significant increase in the variation (LV-EF: 10.15%). CONCLUSIONS: The rapid ECG-triggered cine MRI in breath-hold technique allows the simultaneous RV and LV, artefact-free determination of heart volumes and LV muscle mass. The LV volumes can be determined more accurately than the RV. The examiner has a distinct influence on the accuracy, the operator has a lesser effect. Physiological fluctuations of cardiac activity significantly influence the follow-up.

Blood glucose values and definitions for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in clinically normal broiler chicks.

Two analytical methods were used to establish expected blood glucose values for normal 2-week-old broiler chicks. The lower values (cut-offs) that define hypoglycemia are 137 mg/dl for the standard method and 60 mg/dl for the Chemstrip bG method. The upper cut-offs that define hyperglycemia were 363 mg/dl for the standard method and 280 mg/dl for the Chemstrip bG method. Results from these two tests are significantly (F = 110.9, df = 1/124, P < 0.00001) linear and highly correlated. Results from the present study will allow diagnosticians to make confident diagnoses of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in young broiler chicks.

Significance of cell kinetic studies in experimental allergic arthritis: participation of monocytes in injury and recovery of the inflamed synovial membrane.

Experimental allergic arthritis in guinea pig has been investigated as a model of immunosynovitis. The course of synovial injury and recovery is quantitatively estimated by microscopic and autoradiographic evaluation. Using 3-H-thymidine pulse and prelabeling techniques it has been shown, that bone marrow derived monocyte-macrophage cells play a major role in the histopathogenesis of this form of arthritis. Cell kinetic studies during the initiation of experimental synovitis support the hypothesis, that so-called lining cell hyperplasia is predominantly due to infiltration by blood monocytes, which during the stage of recovery contribute to a secondary lining cell layer. The early bone and cartilage erosions are additional lesions, which appear to be dependent on the monocyte-macrophage system.