UC Irvine

Abstract: Background: Accurate cardiac chamber quantification is essential for clinical decisions and ideally should be consistent across different echocardiography systems. This study evaluates variations between the Philips EPIQ CVx (version 9.0.3) and Canon Aplio i900 (version 7.0) in measuring cardiac volumes, ventricular function, and valve structures. Methods: In this gender-balanced, single-center study, 40 healthy volunteers (20 females, 20 males) aged 40 and older (mean age 56.75 ± 11.57) were scanned alternately with both systems by the same sonographer using identical settings for both 2D and 4D acquisitions. We compared left and right ventricular volumes using paired t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Correlation and Bland-Altman plots were used for quantities showing significant differences. Two board-certified cardiologists evaluated valve anatomy for each platform. Results: Results showed no significant differences in left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between platforms. However, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) differed significantly (bi-plane: p=0.018; 4D: p=0.028). Right ventricular measurements in 4D showed no significant differences, but there were notable disparities in 2D and 4D volumes within each platform (p<0.01). Significant differences were also found in the LV Systolic Dyssynchrony Index (p=0.03), LV Longitudinal Strain (p=0.04), LV Twist (p=0.004), and LV Torsion (p=0.005). Valve structure assessments varied, with more abnormalities noted on the Philips platform. Conclusions: In conclusion, while LV and RV volumetric measurements are generally comparable, significant differences in LVEDV, LV strain metrics, and 2D versus 4D measurements exist. These variations should be considered when using different platforms for patient follow-ups.