Reference values for left ventricular volumes with real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography

Abstract

Objectives. Obtain normal reference ranges for left ventricular (LV) volume indexes (VI) and ejection fraction (EF) with fast real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) with online analysis. Design. After a screening visit 166 healthy participants, 79 males and 87 females aged 2980 years were examined with RT3DE and Doppler. Results. Upper normal values (mean 2 standard deviations [SD]) for LV end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) and LV end-systolic volume index (LVESVI) were 82 ml/m 2 and 38 ml/m 2, respectively. The lower limit (mean 2 SD) for LVEF was 49%. LVVI were significantly larger among males (p < 0.001). LV stroke volume (SD) was 87 (22) ml with Doppler vs. 69 (14) ml with RT3DE (p < 0.001). In males there was a positive correlation between age and LVEF (r 0.34, p 0.003). In a reproducibility study of RT3DE and 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) the coefficients of variability for repeated recordings were 5.7% for LVEDV, 7.7% for LVESV and 6.7% for LVEF with RT3DE, and 8.6%, 8.6% and 6.4% with 2DE, respectively. Conclusions. These reference values presented from a large group of normal subjects over a wide age range with RT3DE may represent a valuable tool to evaluate if LV systolic dysfunction is present or not. © Informa UK Ltd. 2010.