Estimation of intra- and inter-ventricular dyssynchronization with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Aim of this study was to evaluate quantitative parameters for inter- and intra-ventricular dyssynchronicity measurement. 10 patients with severely reduced left ventricular function (LVF) and variable QRS duration (70% had left bundle branch blockation; LBBB) and six healthy subjects (control) were examined with cine magnetic resonance imaging. The phase differences between the left and right ventricle were estimated from the endo- and epicardial contours of the full left and right ventricle in short axis slices for the whole cardiac cycle. Inter-ventricular asynchronicity (INTER) and intraventricular asynchronicity (INTRA) were significantly higher in patients with reduced L VF as compared to the control group independently from the presence of a LBBB. INTRA but not INTER could discriminate patients with and without LBBB. We found two clinically very promising parameters describing the phase difference of the left and right ventricle.