Evaluation of different magnetic resonance imaging techniques for the assessment of active left atrial emptying

Objectives There is currently no agreement on the best method of assessing active left atrial (LA) emptying. This study evaluated the relative merits of cine- and velocity encoded (VENC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the assessment of active LA emptying. Methods Total LA emptying volume (TLAEV) and active LA stroke volume (ALASV) were assessed in 107 consecutive patients using cine-MRI and transmitral flow measurements by VENC-MRI. The fraction of active LA emptying (ALAEF) was calculated as the ratio of ALASV to TLAEV. LA and left ventricular (LV) output were calculated by multiplying TLAEV and LV stroke volume by heart rate, respectively. Results Intra- and inter-observer variances were significantly larger for cine-MRI than for VENC-MRI measurements of ALASV (24.7 mL 2 vs. 3.7 mL 2 and 57.7 mL 2 vs. 4.2 mL 2 ; P