[2-dimensional echocardiography in the evaluation of right ventricular volume and function. Comparison with...

Using two-dimensional echocardiography (ECHO), the authors examined within one week preceding right-sided catheterization of the right ventricle (RV) 44 patients. Of three tested ECHO techniques for calculation of right ventricular volumes and/or function the best correlations were obtained by the method of evaluation of area-length of the right ventricle from two orthogonal projections (apical 4-cavity and subcostal with visualization of the outflow portion of the RV). The following correlations were assessed: telediastolic volume--r = 0.831, telesystolic volume--r = 0.815 stroke volume--r = 0.810 and ejection fraction (EF)--r = 0.752 (p less than 0.001 for all correlations). The tested method enables us at the same time to screen at least existing right ventricular dysfunction (sensitivity 0.68; specificity 0.82). In the presence of tricuspidal insufficiency (TI) increase in right ventricular function occurs which may mask its existing failure (dependence of EF on the mean pressure level in pulmonary artery was proved only in patients without TI--r = 0.594). We assume that information on right ventricular function is important not only in diseases affecting primarily the right heart but also in advanced stages of left-sided failure. Follow-up of the natural course of the disease and the effect of provided treatment by the non-invasive ECHO method is thus useful not only in research but also in clinical practice.