Validation of a Reliable, Noninvasive Method for Determining Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Abstract

Paired scintigraphic and cine CT studies were performed on 29 patients to assess the accuracy of three scintigraphic methods currently available for determination of right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF). Following a bolus injection of 30 mCi [^99mTc]pertechnetate, a serial mode acquisition of the first transit through the heart was recorded. Processing was performed in three ways: beat-by-beat (fixed ROI), equilibrium multigated acquisition (MUGA) (variable ROI), and first-pass MUGA (variable ROI). RVEF values determined with the first-pass MUGA technique showed the best correlation with cine CT values, while those determined with the beat-by-beat or the equilibrium MUGA techniques consistently underestimated the RVEF. Thus, the scintigraphic technique using a first-pass gated format with variable ROI appears to be reliable by correlation with cine CT as an inexpensive, noninvasive method for evaluation of RV function.