Sarvenaz Pourjabbar MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Sarabjeet Singh MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research Grant, Siemens AG Research Grant, Toshiba Corporation Research Grant, General Electric Company Research Grant, Koninklijke Philips NV

Atul Padole MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ranish Deedar Ali Khawaja MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Subba Rao Digumarthy MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Mannudeep K. S. Kalra MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alexi Otrakji MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Roberto Lo Gullo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess the feasibility of postmortem CT in diffrenciating normal and hypertrophied left ventricle (LVH) in comparison to pathology as the gold standard.

In an IRB approved, HIPAA compliant retrospective study, postmortem chest CT scan of 37 cadavers (59.9±14years, body mass index 28.4±6 kg/m2 ,F:M 9:28) were included for the study. Twenty one patients(57.2±14years, body mass index 28.7±5.6 kg/m2 , F:M 18:3) had confirmed LVH on gross and histo-pathology examinations, whereas in remaining 16 patients (63.9±14 years, body mass index 28.1±7 kg/m2 ,F:M 5:10) ,there was no LVH on pathology. Chest CT was performed at 120 kV, 300 mAs, 0.5:1 pitch, 1 second rotation time, 0.75 mm reconstructed section thickness with filtered back projection reconstruction technique.These images were exported to ViTREA® (ViTAL Image, Toshiba Medical Systems) image processing workstation to generate short axis multiplanar images of the left ventricle in order to measure LV segmental thickness. LV wall thickness was measured at different locations in the left ventricle in all patients (Figure 1). Data were analyzed using student t-test.

It was possible to measure the LV wall thickness in all cadavers. BMIs in the LVH and non-LVH group were 28.7 ± 5.7 kg/m2 and 28.1 ±7.2 kg/m2 (p> 0.1). Average interval between death and postmortem CT  was 22 ± 25 (range: 1- 114 hours). Septal wall thickness at mid-cavity had the lowest average(17.8 ±3.4) while lateral wall thickness at the base of the heart had the highest value (24.3 ±4.9) (p<0.000). Diameters at eight different locations were not significantly different between patients with and without LVH (p= 0.1 – 0.4). Also wall thickness was the same among patients with BMI higher (n=15, 19.6 ±5) and lower than 30 kg/m2 (n=22, 19.9 ±5). Wall thickness in the female(n=9, 20.8 ±8.6) and male group(n=28, 20.3 ±5.8) was not significantly different (p> 0.1). Average wall thickness in patients scanned within 12 hours after their death and after 12 hours of their death were 20.8 ±2.7 and 21.2 ± 2.2 respectively (p> 0.1).

Postmortem CT shows increased left ventricle wall thickness in all human cadavers with or without pathology-confirmed LVH and regardless of patients' gender, size, and time of death.

Left ventricle wall thickness should not be used to comment on presence or absence of left ventricle hypertrophy on post mortem CT.

Pourjabbar, S, Singh, S, Padole, A, Khawaja, R, Digumarthy, S, Kalra, M, Otrakji, A, Lo Gullo, R, Left Ventricle Wall Thickness in Post Mortem CT: Does It Really Help to Determine LV Hypertrophy?.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14006121.html