Usefulness of three-dimensional spherical index to assess different types of left ventricular remodeling

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial injury, volume or pressure overload is characterized by a change in LV shape from an ellipse to more of a sphere. The usefulness of 3-dimensional (3D) sphericity index (SpI) for accurate evaluation of LV remodeling remains uncertain despite extensive research. METHODS: We searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases to identify relevant studies from January 1, 1990 to August 1, 2016. The quality of each study was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta regression and sensitivity and subgroup analyses based on patterns of LV remodeling were performed. RESULTS: Thirteen studies with a total of 1064 patients were included in this meta-analysis. There was evidence of obvious heterogeneity (I = 82.4%; P < .001), which was mainly accounted for by the pattern of remodeling according to meta-regression. The result of subgroup meta-analyses suggested that SpI in patients with eccentric remodeling was significantly higher compared with control group (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.10). No statistic difference was found in LV SpI between healthy controls and patients with concentric hypertrophy (95% CI, -0.89 to 0.16) or myocardial injury (95% CI, -0.13 to 0.41). CONCLUSION: 3D SpI can be widely used to assess LV remodeling in patients with eccentric remodeling, but has limitations in predicting concentric hypertrophy and regional or chronic myocardial injury.