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Updated: Jul 8, 2026
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Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Right ventricular function in ischemic or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
Despina G Parcharidou1, Georgios Giannakoulas, Georgios K Efthimiadis
1First Cardiology Department, AHEPA General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Summary
Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is more pronounced in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) compared to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) parameters can help differentiate between these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiomyopathy
Background:
- Differentiating ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is crucial for treatment decisions, particularly regarding coronary revascularization.
- Right ventricular (RV) function assessment is vital in managing heart failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare right ventricular (RV) function using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) in patients with ICM and DCM.
- To identify TDE parameters that can distinguish between ICM and DCM.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 42 patients with ICM and 40 patients with DCM.
- Conventional echocardiography and TDE were performed on all participants.
- Key parameters analyzed included pulmonary artery systolic pressure and various RV TDE velocities and ratios.
Main Results:
- Patients with ICM had significantly higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure and lower RV systolic (Sa) and diastolic (Ea, Aa) velocities compared to DCM patients.
- The RV E/Ea ratio was significantly higher in the ICM group.
- Age, pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and RV Sa were independent predictors for diagnosing ICM.
Conclusions:
- Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is more severe in patients with ICM than in those with DCM.
- TDE parameters serve as valuable adjuncts to clinical and conventional echocardiographic findings for assessing and differentiating ICM and DCM.
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