Accurate estimation of regional and global cardiac function in old myocardial infarction patients by multidetector-row computed tomography

Recently we can evaluate cardiac function by multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and quantitative gated SPECT (QGS) as well as left ventriculography (LVG). We evaluated regional and global cardiac function using MDCT and QGS, compared to LVG, and also evaluated parameters of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function using MDCT. Regional cardiac function was evaluated using shortening fraction (SF). Global cardiac function was evaluated using ejection fraction(EF). The peak filling rate (PFR) and the ratio of time to peak filling rate to RR interval (tPFR/RR) on MDCT were measured as parameters of LV diastolic function. The SFs by MDCT and LVG were correlated in almost each segment, but those by QGS and LVG were not correlated in some each segment. The SFs by QGS and LVG were not correlated in the myocardial infarcted segments, but those by QGS and LVG were correlated in the non-infarcted segments. Except for patients who had wall motion abnormalities at the ventricular septum or posterolateral wall, the EFs by MDCT and LVG were correlated, but those by QGS and LVG were not correlated. MDCT was more useful in detecting regional and global cardiac function compared to QGS, and parameters of LV diastolic function could be also measured by MDCT.