BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional echocardiography has good feasibility and real image display in dynamic and spatial cardiac structures. So we designed this study to assess both the feasibility and potential role of three-dimensional echocardiography for the evaluation of cardiac structures and adjacent relationships. METHOD: We studied 25 patients with various heart structures. Cross-sectional images of specific interesting region were acquired from multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and reconstructed to three-dimensional images by TomTec image processing system. These images were presented in volume-rendered dynamic display for assessing of additonal informations. RESULTS: Three-dimensional reconstructions of usual viewpoints and interesting cut planes were possible in all patients. When compared with standard two dimensional images, additional informations were provided in all reconstructed cases. Among these images, mitral valve morphology, aortoseptal continuity and interatrial septum were the structures for which three-dimensional echocardiography were most useful. CONCLUSION: Although it was preliminary datas which needs large-scale randonmized prospective studies, three-dimensional echocardiograpy may be most potent and promising methods in evaluating anatomic and functional assessment of heart structures.
Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mitral Valve

Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo compare the position, displacement, degree of inclusion (DI) and matching index (MI) of the gross tumor volume (GTV) for peripheral lung cancer based on 4-dimensional CT (4D CT) and 3-dimensional CT (3D CT) assisted with active breathing control (ABC).

METHODSEighteen patients with peripheral lung cancer underwent 4D CT simulation scan during free breathing and 3D CT simulation scans in end-inspiratory hold (CTEIH) and end-expiratory hold (CTEEH) in turn. The 4D CT images from each respiratory cycle were sorted into 10 phases. phase 0 was defined as end-inspiratory phase (CT0), and phase 50 was defined as end-expiratory phase (CT50). The GTVs were delineated separately on CT0, CT50, CTEIH and CTEEH images, and then GTV0, GTV50, GTVEIH and GTVEEH were constructed, respectively.

RESULTSThe median distances between the centroids of GTV0 and GTVEIH, GTV50 and GTVEEH were 3.9 mm and 3.4 mm in all patients, 3.2 mm and 3.1 mm in the upper lobe group, and 5.0 mm and 4.7 mm in the lower lobe group, respectively. In the upper lobe group, the GTV0 and GTVEIH were 65.9% and 63.1%, and the median mutual DIs of GTV50 and GTVEEH were 67.5%, 63.1%, respectively. In the lower lobe group, the GTV0 and GTVEIH were 35.3% and 21.4%, and the median mutual DIs of GTV50 and GTVEEH were 27.8% and 24.8%, respectively. In the upper lobe group, the median MI of GTV0 and GTVEIH was 0.5, and the median MI of GTV50 and GTVEEH was 0.6. In the lower lobe group, the median MI of GTV0 and GTVEIH was 0.2, and the median MI of GTV50 and GTVEEH was 0.3. Whether in the upper or lower lobe groups, all the differences between displacements of centroid positions of GTVEIH and GTVEEH (ABC displacement) and GTV0 and GTV50 (4D displacement ) were <1 mm in three dimensional directions (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe target displacement of tumors based on 3D CT scanning in end-inspiratory hold and end-expiration hold can be used to construct internal target volume instead of that based on 4D CT scanning in extreme phase for peripheral lung cancers, but spatital mismatches of GTVs are obvious between extreme phases in 4D CT and corresponding phases in 3D CT assisted with ABC, especially for tumors of smaller volume and with larger motion amplitude.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Female ; Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Movement ; Respiration ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Burden ; Young Adult

A Compton camera, which is based on the geometrical interpretation of Compton scattering, is a very promising gamma-ray imaging device considering its several advantages over the conventional gamma-ray imaging devices: high imaging sensitivity, 3-D imaging capability from a fixed position, multi-tracing functionality, and almost no limitation in photon energy. In the present study, a Monte Carlo-based, user-friendly Compton imaging simulator was developed in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) based on Geant4 and MATLAB (TM). The simulator was tested against the experimental result of the double-scattering Compton camera, which is under development at Hanyang University in Korea. The imaging resolution of the simulated Compton image well agreed with that of the measured image. The imaging sensitivity of the measured data was 2~3 times higher than that of the simulated data, which is due to the fact that the measured data contains the random coincidence events. The performance of a stacking-structure type Compton camera was evaluated by using the simulator. The result shows that the Compton camera shows its highest performance when it uses 4 layers of scatterer detectors.
Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Korea

OBJECTIVETo test the accuracy of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) imaging system for evaluating left ventricular mass (LVM) in phantom and excised canine heart.

METHODSTen left ventricular (LV) wall phantoms made of two rubber-bursas, ten excised canine hearts underwent RT3DE and two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). In RT3DE "full volume" imaging, the myocardial volume was measured using 2, 4, 8, and 16-plane method with the analysis software of RT3DE. Mass was then calculated by multiplying the resulting myocardial volume by specific density of myocardial tissue. In 2DE the masses were measured by area-length method. The true LV wall phantom mass was measured by water displacement and the canine LVM was weighed by anatomy, which served as a reference standard. We compared RT3DE or 2DE with true mass.

RESULTSIn LV wall phantoms, RT3DE correlated with true masses strongly (r = 0.813-0.994) and weakly correlated between 2DE and true masses (r = 0.628). In excised canine hearts, there is an excellent correlation between RT3DE and true masses (r = 0.764-0.991), while 2DE value showed a lesser correlation (r = 0.514). There are no difference between RT-3DE and true masses (P > 0.05) but different between 2DE and true masses (P < 0.05). In different planes, there was no difference between 8-plane and 16-plane (P > 0.05) but different between 8-plane and 2, 4-plane (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRT3DE can accurately quantify LVM and provide a new tool to evaluate LV function. For LVM by RT3DE, 8-plane measurement method is the best choice for accuracy and convenience.

Animals ; Dogs ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; instrumentation ; Heart Ventricles ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging ; Phantoms, Imaging

BACKGROUNDBoth real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) are novel imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility and accuracy of RT3DE combined with MCE for quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion defects.

METHODSThirteen dogs underwent ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD, n = 6) or distal branch of the left circumflex artery (LCX, n = 7) under general anaesthesia. Three to four ml of a perfluoropropane (C3F8) microbubble contrast agent was injected intravenously to assess the resulting myocardial perfusion defects with a commercially available Philips SONOS-7500 ultrasound system. After removal of the dog hearts, Evans blue dye was injected via the left and right coronary arteries to stain the myocardium at risk. In vitro anatomic measurements of myocardial mass after removal of the animals' hearts were used as controls.

RESULTSLeft ventricular (LV) mass determined by RT3DE ranged 36.7 - 68.9 g [mean, (54.6 +/- 9.6) g] before coronary artery ligation, and correlated highly (r = 0.99) with in vitro measurement of LV mass [range, 38.9 - 71.1 g; mean, (55.6 +/- 9.3) g]. There was no significant difference between RT3DE and in vitro measurements of LV mass [range, 36.7 - 68.9 g; mean, (51.3 +/- 12.5) g. Or range, 38.9 - 71.1 g; mean, (53.7 +/- 12.3) g, respectively] and under-perfused mass [range, 0 - 21.4 g; mean, (12.0 +/- 6.9) g. Or range, 0 - 19.8 g; mean, (10.8 +/- 6.3) g, respectively] after the LAD ligation (P > 0.05). Likewise, no significant difference was present between RT3DE and in vitro measurements of LV mass [range, 50.1 - 65.4 g; mean, (57.5 +/- 5.9) g. Or range, 51.5 - 65.8 g; mean, (57.3 +/- 6.4) g, respectively] and under-perfused mass [range, 0 - 25.6 g; mean, (13.3 +/- 9.6) g. Or range, 0 - 22.7 g; mean, (12.8 +/- 8.1) g, respectively] after the LCX ligation (P > 0.05). For all the animals with coronary ligation, LV mass measured by RT3DE ranged 35.9 - 68.6 g [mean, (54.8 +/- 10.0) g] and there was no significant difference between RT3DE and in vitro measurements of LV mass and under-perfused mass (P > 0.05, r = 0.99). Further, the under-perfused mass derived from RT3DE [range, 0 - 25.6 g; mean, (12.7 +/- 8.2) g] correlated strongly with the in vitro measurements [range, 0 - 22.7 g; mean, (11.9 +/- 7.2) g] (r = 0.96).

CONCLUSIONRT3DE with MCE is a rapid and accurate method for estimating LV myocardial mass and quantifying perfusion defects.

Animals ; Coronary Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Dogs ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Feasibility Studies ; Fluorocarbons

Mitral regurgitation is one of the most serious heart diseases. With the development of up-to-date medical techniques, the ratio of successful operations in valvular repair and valvular replacement has been largely improved. Examinations before operation become extremely crucial. Accurate method is required in assessing the degree of mitral regurgitation to set down the corresponding treatment method. This paper reviews the evaluation methods of mitral valvular regurgitation provided in these years and presents comments on the application areas as well as the merits and disadvantages of those methods. Finally, the prospect of the method based on three-dimensional Doppler ultrasonographic imaging on mitral regurgitation is discussed.
Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; diagnostic imaging

Cardiac Catheterization ; Child ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart Septal Defects ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Time Factors

Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Funnel Chest/surgery* ; Humans ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right/diagnostic imaging* ; Ventricular Function, Right

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of hypothyroidism on left ventricular systolic function using real-time three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (RT3D-STI). Thirty hypothyroidism patients and forty healthy volunteers were recruited and received RT3DSTI measurement of global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), and global area strain (GAS). A comparison of differences between the hypothyroidism patients and those in the healthy group was carried out and we obtained the results as followings. The values of GLS were (-18.93 +/- 3.89) vs. (-21.44 +/- 1.99), with P < 0.01, GRS were (51.13 +/- 11.95) vs. (56.10 +/- 5.76), with P < 0.0; and GAS were (-31.63 +/- 5.38) vs. (-34.40 +/- 2.32), with P < 0.01, i.e. they were lower in hypothyroidism group than those in the health group. While GCS were (-17.75 +/- 1.92) vs. 17.03 +/- 3.45), with P > 0.05, which were not significantly different between the two groups. In linear regres sion, GLS showed significant correlation with both TSH (b = -0.69, P < 0.01) and FT3 (b = 0.71, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the GRS (b = 2.98, P < 0.05) and GAS (b = 3.11, P < 0.05) linearly correlated with FT3 level. In conclusion, the present study shows that the global longitudinal and radial moves of left ventricular are weaker in patients with hypothyroidism than healthy controls. And the impairment of left ventricular function would aggravate as FSH rises or FT3 declines.
Case-Control Studies ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart Ventricles ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; complications ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Reproducibility of Results ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; complications ; diagnosis ; Ventricular Function, Left