Performance of conventional orthogonal and multiple-dipole electrocardiograms in estimating left ventricular muscle mass

Abstract

For estimating left ventricular mass (LVM), ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were selected from conventional 12-lead ECGs, orthogonal three-lead ECGs, and multiple-dipole ECGs (MDECG). The three cardiograms were recorded in 139 patients for whom the degree of LVH was independently determined from biplane ventriculograms. Tested ECG criteria included Sokolow-Lyon measurements for the 12-lead ECT; for the orthogonal ECG, maximal QRS magnitude in the horizontal plane, R duration in the z-lead and J(xyz) (spatial magnitude of point J); and for the 126 leads of the MDECG, the dipole activity (DA) of the septum and the free left ventricular wall. Correlation coefficients between LVM and the 12-lead ECG, three-lead ECG and MDECG were 0.61, 0.78 and 0.89, respectively, with corresponding errors of estimated LVM of 103, 82 and 60 g. More complex recording and analytic methods clearly led to increased accuracy in LVM estimates. However, the large error of estimate may limit practical applicability of such correlations. For classification of subjects into normal and above-normal categories, a likelihood ratio was also used and led to a maximum performance index of 86% with MDECG measurements.