Agreement of 3d-ssfp and echocardiography for aortic root dimensions

Background Respiratory navigated, ECG-gated, 3D-isotropic steady state free precession (3D-SSFP) is increasingly utilized in pediatric aortopathy. This is particularly true in adolescents as acoustic windows become limited. The agreement between echocardiography (ECHO) and 3D-SSFP obtained measurements could be influence by imaging plane, timing (systole versus diastole) and image quality. With 3D-SSFP the image quality is generally superior when acquisition is timed to diastole. As diastolic measurements are utilized as standard practice in adult aortopathy decision-making, whereas systolic diameters are standard in pediatric practice, examining the agreement between diastolic 3D-SSFP and ECHO (both systole and diastole) has merit. This study examined this question retrospectively.