Two-dimensional echocardiographic features of right ventricular infarction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Echocardiography
• Myocardial Infarction

Background:

• Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can involve the right ventricle (RV).
• Clinical features may suggest RV involvement, but definitive diagnosis requires imaging.
• Echocardiography is a valuable tool for assessing cardiac function and structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of real-time, two-dimensional echocardiography in diagnosing right ventricular involvement in acute myocardial infarction.
• To characterize the echocardiographic features associated with right ventricular infarction.

Main Methods:

• Real-time, two-dimensional echocardiographic studies were conducted in 10 patients with AMI and suspected RV involvement.
• Echocardiographic findings were correlated with radionuclide scans, surgical findings, or autopsy results for confirmation.

Main Results:

• All 10 patients exhibited right ventricular wall motion abnormalities.
• Common findings included akinesis of the RV diaphragmatic wall (7 patients), segmental akinesis (3 patients), and RV free wall dyskinesis (4 patients).
• Other observed features were RV enlargement (8 patients), paradoxical septal motion (7 patients), tricuspid incompetence (8 patients), and associated findings like gastric dilatation and pericardial effusion.

Conclusions:

• Two-dimensional echocardiography effectively identifies right ventricular wall motion abnormalities in acute myocardial infarction.
• Echocardiographic findings can suggest the presence and extent of right ventricular infarction.
• This imaging modality aids in the diagnosis and characterization of RV involvement in AMI.