Radionuclide fourier amplitude analysis to predict post-aneurysmectomy ejection fraction

Post-operative LV ejection fraction (EF) is an important determinant of outcome following aneurysmectomy but is difficult to predict noninvasively. First harmonic Fourier analysis of radionuclide angiography (RNA) in patients with aneurysms gives characteristic phase and amplitude images which delineate contractile and dyskinetic regions. Since pixel amplitude is proportional to stroke counts, the summed amplitude values from the contractile region (CR) and the aneurysm should reflect regional stroke volumes. A predicted post-operative LVEF may be determined from the pre-operative global LVEF and the proportion of the total amplitude located in the CR. The authors studied 19 patients undergoing LV aneurysmectomy with pre- and post-operative RNA. Three patients were excluded for technical reasons, leaving 16 patients for analysis. There were 13 males, and the mean age was 56.8 yrs (range 45-78). All patients had a history of anterior myocardial infarction and were undergoing surgery for recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia. The global LVEF increased from 0.25 +- .13 (sd) pre-operatively to 0.38+-.11 following surgery (p<.001). The predicted post-operative LVEF (from amplitude analysis of the pre-operative RNA) averaged 0.35 +- .13 and correlated significantly with the actual post-operative LVEf (r=0.87, SEE=.06, p<.01). The results suggest that the LVEF following aneurysmectomy can be predicted frommore » Fourier amplitude analysis of the pre-operative RNA.« less