Quantification of Shunt Volume Through Ventricular Septal Defect by Real-Time 3-D Color Doppler Echocardiography: An in Vitro Study

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2016 May;42(5):1193-200. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.12.017. Epub 2016 Feb 2.

Abstract

Quantification of shunt volume is important for ventricular septal defects (VSDs). The aim of the in vitro study described here was to test the feasibility of using real-time 3-D color Doppler echocardiography (RT3-D-CDE) to quantify shunt volume through a modeled VSD. Eight porcine heart phantoms with VSDs ranging in diameter from 3 to 25 mm were studied. Each phantom was passively driven at five different stroke volumes from 30 to 70 mL and two stroke rates, 60 and 120 strokes/min. RT3-D-CDE full volumes were obtained at color Doppler volume rates of 15, 20 and 27 volumes/s. Shunt flow derived from RT3-D-CDE was linearly correlated with pump-driven stroke volume (R = 0.982). RT3-D-CDE-derived shunt volumes from three color Doppler flow rate settings and two stroke rate acquisitions did not differ (p > 0.05). The use of RT3-D-CDE to determine shunt volume though VSDs is feasible. Different color volume rates/heart rates under clinically/physiologically relevant range have no effect on VSD 3-D shunt volume determination.

Keywords: Real-time 3-D color Doppler echocardiography; Shunt volume; Ventricular septal defect.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Flow Velocity
  • Blood Volume
  • Blood Volume Determination / methods*
  • Computer Systems
  • Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / methods*
  • Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / physiopathology*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Stroke Volume*
  • Swine