Evaluation of right ventricular functions in patients with nasal polyposis: an observational study

The aim of this study was to assess the right ventricular functions in patients with nasal polyposis using the strain (S) and strain rate (SR) echocardiography.

A prospective, cross-sectional observational study was performed. The study included 40 patients with nasal polyposis (NP) (Group 1), and 25 healthy controls (Group 2). The study comprised patients with Stage 2 and Stage 3 nasal obstruction and no symptoms that could be associated with right ventricular heart failure. Longitudinal peak systolic strain (PSS) and peak systolic strain rate (PSSR) were measured from the basal-mid and apical segments of the right ventricle free wall. Student's t-test, Pearson's correlation analysis and Bland-Altman test were used for statistical analysis.

Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure was significantly higher in group 1 than group 2 (31.2 ± 5.8, 19.7 ± 4.3, respectively, p<0.001). PSS and PSSR values at the basal, mid and apical segments of the right ventricular lateral wall of the group I were significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.001, p=0.002 and p=0.002 for PSS, p=0.003, p<0.001 and p<0.001 for PSSR, respectively). The comparison of Stage 2 and Stage 3 NP patients revealed a significant difference only in the SR measurement of the right ventricular mid segment (p=0.002). There was a significant correlation between the systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) and right ventricular S and SR values (p<0.001).

In this study, S/SR echocardiography showed a subclinical deficit of the right ventricular longitudinal functions in patients with NP who are considered to have normal right ventricular functions.