• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine if contrast media would enhance visualization of the endocardium for assessment of left ventricle (LV) function. In addition, differences between pre- and post-contrast evaluation for the cardiac output measurements including the modified Simpson's method and automated contour tracking (ACT) method were examined. Ten clinically healthy adult beagle dogs (three males and seven females) between 2~3 years old and weighing 6.6~10.8 kg were used. Echocardiographic examinations were performed to compare pre- and post-contrast LV endocardium visualization using a segmental scoring method. Two different methods for measuring cardiac output were also compared. LV visualization was significantly enhanced in post-contrast echocardiography (p < 0.01). Significant differences between pre- and post-contrast measurements for the modified Simpson's method (p < 0.05) were also observed. No significant difference was found for the ACT method. Contrast echocardiography provides better LV chamber opacification and significantly improves wall segment visualization. Furthermore, contrast echocardiography for measuring cardiac output is helpful for the modified Simpson's method.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.435-443
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• 2008

Purpose: Gated myocardial perfusion SPECT provides not only myocardial perfusion status but also various functional parameters of left ventricle. We compared left ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, LV mass by cardiac SPECT using Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS), 4D-MSPECT software and standard 2D-echocardiography. Materials and Methods: One hundred fourteen patients (male 51, female 63; 29-85 years old, mean $61.3\;{\pm}\;13.3$ years old) with normal perfusion status on Tc-99m tetrofosmin gated myocardial perfusion SPECT were analyzed retrospectively. Ejection fraction (LVEF), End-diastolic volume (LVED), LV mass (LVM) were calculated using QGS, 4D-MSPECT, and LVEF, LVM using 2D-echocardiography. Statistical analysis including Bland-Altman plot was performed using $MedCalc^{(R)}$ (MedCalc software, Mariakerke, Belgium). Results: The correlation of LVEF between methods was good: 0.95/0.96 (stress/rest) between QGS and 4D-MSPECT, 0.79 between QGS and echocardiography, 0.79 between 4D-MSPECT and echocardiography (p<0.001). Using Bland-Altman plot, the 95% confidence interval of agreement between QGS and 4D-MSPECT ranged from -12.7% to 7.3% / from -12.2% to 6.5% (stress/rest). The agreement between QGS and echocardiography, 4D-MSPECT and echocardiography ranged from -17.4% to 24.0%, and -14.8% to 27.0% respectively. The correlation of LVM between methods was also good: 0.95 between QGS and 4D-MSPECT, 0.76 between QGS and echocardiography, 0.73 between 4D-MSPECT and echocardiography (p<0.001). The 95% confidence interval of agreement between QGS and 4D-MSPECT ranged from -33.8g to 14.1g (stress/rest), The 95% confidence interval of agreement between QGS and echocardiography, 4D-MSPECT and echocardiography ranged from -148.7 g to 21.8. g, and -142.8 g to 35.5 g, respectively. Conclusion: There was a good correlation for LVEF, LVEO, LVM among methods (QGS, 4D-MSPECT, echocardiography), but the variance between methods was big. Therefore, the functional parameters by each method cannot be used interchangeably.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics B
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• v.32B no.10
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• pp.1294-1304
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• 1995

In this paper, a method has been proposed for the fully automatic detection of left ventricular endocardial boundary in B-mode short axis echocardiography without manual intervention by human operator. The proposed method makes use of the weighted model that approximates to endocardium and incomplete edge information for echocardiography. Therefore, this method is more effective than boundary detection by only edge information. The implementation of this method is as follows. First, the proposed algorithms are used in order to detect the approximate boundary, then a weighted model with the approximate boundary is constructed. Finally, the cavity center of the left ventricle performing the Hough transform with the weighted model and edge image can be found automatically, and then the endocardial boundary using detected center, original image, weighted model, and edge image can be detected. validations of this method with experimental results on echo image of dog's heart and clinical echocardiography is verified.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.407-412
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• 2005

Echocardiography is one of the most frequently used techniques for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. Over the last twenty years, technological advances have enabled the application of high-quality imaging. Important recent developments have occurred in echocardiography that are already being used clinically. Equipment and hardware is now available to produce reai time three-dimensional and contrast enhanced imaging.. Tissue Doppler and stress echocardiography have provided potential benefit to analyze hemodynamic information of heart. This review discusses each of these new developments and their potential impact on the practice of echocardioaraphy and cardiology in general.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.413-418
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• 1998

Intracardiac velocities were determined and the wave-forms described for 4 flow areas of the normal canine heart following administration of chemical restraint drugs including xylazine HCl, ketamine HCl, and thiopental sodium using pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography. The result was that xylazine HCl and thiopental sodium reduced intracardiac flow velocities through mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary valves. It is also thought that precautions are required before using these drugs. Patterns of wave-forms had no changes between control and treatment groups. Doppler echocardiography allows the clinician to determine flow velocities across the different valves and within the various chambers of the heart. It is shown that establishing normal values and those related to chemical restraint administrations and knowing what influences them should allow the clinician to non-invasively diagnose a variety of pathological cardiac conditions.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.273-278
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• 2001

Chronic mitral valvular insufficiency (CMVI) is the most common heart disease in dogs. The prevalence of CMVI is age-dependent. CMVI is usually affected to small to medium size breeds. It is more prevalent in males than females. The characteristic lesions of CMVI are caused by an acquired chronic structural degeneration of the mitral valve defined as endocardiosis or myxomatous degeneration. The main clinical signs are cough, respiratory distress, weakness and pleural effusion and ascites by secondary right-sided heart failure. The most prominent clinical finding is a systolic heart murmur. The thoracic radiography and echocardiography are useful methods in diagnosis of CMVI. Thoracic radiographic findings are left atrial enlargement, left main stem bronchial compression and pulmonary edema. Echocardiography is confirmed to increased left atrial and ventricular dimension, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve thickening and abnormal movement. Thoracic radiography and echocardiography are used to obtain a definite diagnosis of CMVI, and then to study the progression of the condition.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.1 s.270
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• pp.45-51
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• 2007

Background: Although echocardiography is usually used for quantitative assessment of left ventricular function, the recently developed 16-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is not only capable of evaluating the coronary arteries but also left ventricular function. Therefore, the objective of our study was to compare the values of left ventricular function quantified by MDCT to those by echocardiography for evaluation of its regards to clinical applications. Material and Method: From 49 patients who underwent MDCT in our hospital from November 1, 2003 to January 31, 2005, we enrolled 20 patients who underwent echocardiography during the same period for this study. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), stroke volume index (SVI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and ejection fraction (EF) were analyzed. Result: Average LVEDVI ($80.86{\pm}34.69mL$ for MDCT vs $60.23{\pm}29.06mL$ for Echocardiography, p<0.01), average LVESVI ($37.96{\pm}24.52mL$ for MDCT vs $25.68{\pm}16.57mL$ for Echocardiography, p<0.01), average SVI ($42.90{\pm}15.86mL$ for MDCT vs $34.54{\pm}17.94mL$ for Echocardiography, p<0.01), average LVMI ($72.14{\pm}25.35mL$ for MDCT vs $130.35{\pm}53.10mL$ for Echocardiography, p<0.01), and average EF ($55.63{\pm}12.91mL$ for MOCT vs $59.95{\pm}12.75ml$ for Echocardiography, p<0.05) showed significant difference between both groups. Average LVEDVI, average LVESVI, and average SVI were higher in MDCT, and average LVMI and average EF were higher in echocardiogram. Comparing correlation for each parameters between both groups, LVEDVI $(r^2=0.74,\;p<0.0001)$, LVESVI $(r^2=0.69,\;p<0.0001)$ and SVI $(r^2=0.55,\;p<0.0001)$ showed high relevance, LVMI $(r^2=0.84,\;p<0.0001)$ showed very high relevance, and $EF (r^2=0.45,\;p=0.0002)$ showed relatively high relevance. Conclusion: Quantitative assessment of left ventricular volume and function using 16-slice MDCT showed high relevance compared with echocardiography, therefore may be a feasible assessment method. However, because the average of each parameters showed significant difference, the absolute values between both studies may not be appropriate for clinical applications. Furthermore, considering the future development of MDCT, we expect to be able to easily evaluate the assessment of coronary artery stenosis along with left ventricular function in coronary artery disease patients.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.24-25
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• 2023

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.188-190
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• 2023

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 1991

Residual significant tricuspid regurgitation after mitral valve operation may significantly increase postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, routine techniques to detect tricuspid regurgitation preoperatively and postoperatively are not accurate. Doppler echocardiography was performed preoperatively and postoperatively to assess its ability to evaluate and quantify the severity of tricuspid regurgitation. In 34 patients with tricuspid regurgitation secondary to mitral valvular disease the tricuspid regurgitations were semiquantified on a scale of 1 to 3+. The 34 patients were divided into two groups on the basis of severity of tricuspid regurgitation as assessed by preoperative Doppler echocardiography. Group I [8 patients] had mild[1+] regurgitation, and group II [26 patients] had moderate to severe[2 ~ 3%] tricuspid regurgitation. In all studied patients, preoperative Doppler echocardiographic studies for the degree of tricuspid regurgitation were correlated with clinical symptoms[including NYHA class] and hemodynamics[JVP and right ventricular systolic pressure], and used as the indicator to determine whether tricuspid annuloplasty should be performed or not. Patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation[group II ] had greater preoperative right ventricular systolic pressures and NYHA classes, although there was no correlation between them. The 8 patients with mild[1+] tricuspid regurgitation[group I ] didn`t undergo any procedure for the tricuspid regurgitation and their postoperative Doppler echocardiographic studies showed the less than mild[0 ~ 1+] tricuspid regurgitation, and the 26 patients with significant[>2+] tricuspid regurgitation, and the 26 patients with significant[>2+] tricuspid regurgitation[group II ] underwent tricuspid annuloplasty for the tricuspid regurgitation and the postoperative Doppler echocardiographic studies showed the findings similar to group I except 1 patient who underwent Carpentier`s ring annuloplasty and had severe right ventricular failure. Therefore, preoperative Doppler echocardiography can accurately assess the relative severity of tricuspid regurgitation. Importantly, postoperative Doppler echocardiography could conveniently determine the effect of tricuspid annuloplasty for the patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation. Doppler echocardiography may be an important diagnostic method both for evaluating the degree of residual tricuspid regurgitation after left heart operation as well as for determining which patients should undergo tricuspid valve repair.