The purpose of this study was to determine right ventricular (RV) function from 16-detector-row CT by using two different software tools in comparison with MRI. Nineteen patients underwent cardiac CT. (1) With semiautomated contour detection software end-diastolic and end-systolic RV volumes were determined from short-axis CT reformations (MPR) created at every 10% of the RR-interval. (2) End-systolic and end-diastolic axial images were transformed to 3D to determine the volumes by using a threshold-supported reconstruction algorithm. Steady-state free-precession cine-MRI of the heart was done in short-axis orientation. RV function could not be analyzed in one patient because of sternal wire artifacts in MRI. Mean end-diastolic (155.4+/-54.6 ml) and end-systolic (79.1+/-37.0 ml) RV volumes determined with MPR correlated well with MRI [151.9+/-53.7 ml (r=0.98) and 75.0+/-36.0 ml (r=0.96), respectively (P<0.001)]. RV stroke volume (76.2+/-20.2 ml for MPR-CT, 76.9+/-20.7 ml for MRI, r=0.93) showed a good correlation and RV ejection fraction (50.8+/-8.4% for MPR-CT, 51.9+/-7.4% for MRI, r=0.74) only a moderate one. Threshold supported 3D reconstructions revealed insufficient correlations with MRI (r=0.31-0.59). MPR-based semiautomated analysis of cardiac 16 detector-row CT allows for RV functional analysis. The results correlate well with MRI findings. Threshold value-supported 3D reconstructions did not show satisfying results because of inhomogeneities of RV contrast enhancement.

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Early diagnosis of primary pulmonary artery sarcomas can be improved by computed tomography and magnetic resonance scanning. Radical surgical resection probably presents the only chance for cure. The role of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment modalities has to be defined. Pulmonary artery sarcoma need not necessarily be a fatal diagnosis.