[Quantitative segmental analysis of wall function of the right ventricle in probands with healthy hearts]

To investigate and determine the local wall motion of normal right ventricles, biplane angiograms from 14 normal subjects were analyzed. In all patients, organic heart disease was excluded by angiography and right heart catheterization under exercise. Using a radial model, segmental systolic area shortening was determined for the anterior, anteroapical and inferior segment in the RAO-projection and the inferior, anteroapical and anterior (free wall) segment in the LAO-projection. The highest segmental shortening was found for the anterior wall in the RAO-projection (45.6 +/- 7.8%) and for the free wall in the LAO-projection with 42.7 +/- 11.3% (RAO: anteroapical 28.1 +/- 6.3%; inferior: 26.5 +/- 7.8%. LAO: anteroapical: 34.7 +/- 18.8%; inferior: 30.6 +/- 21.6%). Corresponding to these different segment shortenings, right ventricular contraction seems to have a disharmonic pattern in comparison to the left ventricle. Normal local wall motion of segmental area shortening was predicted by the means-2SD (95.5%) confidence interval. The confidence interval of the inferior (-12.6%) and anteroapical (-2.9%) segment in the LAO-projection was poor compared to the other segments (RAO: anterior 30.0%; anteroapical 15.5%; inferior: 10.9%; LAO: free wall: 20.1%). For the LAO-inferior and LAO-anteroapical segment, even akinesia was within the 95.5% confidence interval. In conclusion, quantification of local wall motion seems possible with reasonable confidence for RAO segments and the free wall in the LAO-projection only.