Interpretation of cardiac pathophysiology from pressure waveform analysis: the pulmonary valve

Although an uncommon lesion, when pulmonary stenosis is considered, pulmonary artery and right ventricular pressures should be assessed simultaneously on two-catheter pullback to appreciate the precise location of pulmonary-right ventricular pressure gradients. The case examples demonstrate that the peripheral pulmonic stenosis can mimic pulmonary valve stenosis and that pulmonary artery insufficiency may be difficult to delineate on pressure alone (as is often the case with the hemodynamics of aortic insufficiency). These hemodynamic tracings are complemented by the echocardiographic and angiographic characterization of pulmonic valve lesions. Conduction defects or ventricular hypertrophy can affect the right ventricular pressure tracing and either delay or increase the timing of pressure rise and decline depending on the conduction disturbance and abnormality of myocardial contraction.