The echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle: what to do in 2010?

For many years, the echocardiographic quantitative assessment of right ventricular (RV) function has been difficult owing to the complex RV anatomy. Identifying an accurate and reliable echocardiographic parameter for the functional assessment of the RV still remains a challenge. The review presents a summary of the most studied and presently used parameters of RV function, with their reported normal values, as well as advantages and limitations of use. Combinations of these parameters are used in daily clinical practice, each one offering only partial information about the status of the RV. Myocardial velocity and strain rate imaging have promising results in the assessment of RV function. There is hope that novel myocardial deformation parameters and three-dimensional echocardiography-derived parameters may add value to the examination of the RV, but validation studies are still needed.