Volumetric Assessment is More Precise than Diameter for Determining Left
Ventricular Size
- Chad House,
- William Nelson
Abstract
The assessment of left ventricular size is a fundamental component of
echocardiography. This is typically performed by measuring the
end-diastolic diameter of the left ventricle in the parasternal
long-axis image. There are published norms for end-diastolic diameter,
as well as thresholds that correspond with mild, moderate and severe
left ventricular enlargement. Despite the reliance on end-diastolic
diameter to determine left ventricular size, end-diastolic diameter does
not always accurately reflect the left ventricular end-diastolic volume.
This is especially the case in remodeled ventricles associated with
aortic or mitral insufficiency. As left ventricular volumes continue to
become easier to obtain, with improved accuracy and reproducibility,
when will they become the primary echocardiographic technique for
assessing left ventricular size?