Reproducibility study of left ventricular measurements with breath-hold cine MRI using a semiautomated volumetric image analysis program

The reproducibility of a semiautomated method of volumetric analysis allowing estimates of left ventricular (LV) parameters in approximately 5 minutes of analysis time is reported. Twenty normal volunteers underwent cine breath‐hold cardiac MRI on two occasions with two observers using this new semiautomated method to estimate LV parameters. Reproducibility of this technique was comparable to published data with a variability of less than approximately 10% for all LV parameters calculated. Using this technique, the 95% confidence limits for change for left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV) = ± 15 ml, left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV) = ± 8 ml, LV mass = ± 24 g, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) = ± 6%. This new method also compared favorably to established manual methods. This new method permits estimation of LV parameters with acceptable reproducibility in a time that may permit routine quantitation of cardiac MR studies.