A comparison of 7 different volumetry methods of left and right ventricle using post-mortem phantoms

In order to quantify the accuracy and reliability of angiographic ventricle volumetry, the authors measured 60 ventricle casts (30 LV, 30 RV) using seven biplane methods: Arcilla, Arvidsson, Dodge, Ferlinz, Simpson and Wynne. The ventricle contours were defined in three different ways: manual drawing on the screen, manual drawing using a graphical tablet and automatic contour detection. A high variation in the calculated volumes between the different methods was observed (<30 ml). The volume methods for the LV are more accurate than for the RV (2 ml vs. 12 ml). The internal error of all volume models is very high: /spl plusmn/20 ml standard deviation. The manual contour definition results in an overestimation (+34 ml) of volumes compared to automatic contour detection (+8 ml). Hypertrophy of the LV results in an under-estimation of the LV (-7 ml) and an overestimation of the RV (+6 ml). RV hypertrophy leads to the opposite effect.<>