Technique of echographic examination of right ventricular wall thickness from the right sternal border

Right ventricular wall motion was readily accessible for echocardiographic recording along the right sternal border in 27 pediatric patients (age: 24 hrs--12 yrs). Right ventricular epicardial and endocardial wall motion could be recorded only at the right sternal border in 10 of these patients, emphasizing the need for a new, alternative examination site. Calculated measurements of right ventricular wall thickness recorded from both right and left sternal borders (7 pts) were similar (range of diff.=0--0.6 mm; mean of diff.=0.26 mm). Autopsy confirmation of right ventricular wall thickness was obtained in 2 patients. Epicardial motion could not be identified at the left sternal border in 10 patients. In these patients, right ventricular wall thickness was estimated by measuring from the inner chest wall to the endocardium. These measurements were compared to right ventricular wall thickness obtained from the right sternal border. Wall thickness obtained from the left sternal border was significantly underestimated in the absence of a definite epicardial interface (range of diff.=0.2--2.6 mm; mean of diff.=1.3 mm).