Angiocardiographic estimation of left and right ventricular volume characteristics in normal infants and children.

Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volume data were obtained from biplane cineangiocardiograms in 31 patients with Kawasaki disease who showed normal coronary arteries in selective coronary arteriograms. LV and RV volumes were calculated by using Simpson's rule method. Both of end-diastolic (EDV) and stroke volume (SV) were excellently expressed as a function of body surface area (BSA) with exponential relationship: LVEDV = 104.3 (BSA)1.61 ml (r = 0.93, p less than 0.001), RVEDV = 109.7 (BSA)1.68 ml (r = 0.90, p less than 0.001), LVSV = 68.1 (BSA)1.60 ml (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001) and RVSV = 66.8 (BSA)1.76 ml (r = 0.86, p less than 0.001). LV ejection fraction (LVEF) averaged 66 +/- 1% (mean +/- S.E.) and RVEF 58 +/- 1%. Both of them showed no significant correlations with BSA. The normal values of EDV and SV in infants and children can be predicted from their BSA by using the exponential equations demonstrated by the present study. Thus, these values in pediatric patients with heart diseases could be evaluated in terms of percentage of normal.