[A study on the radionuclide method for assessment of right ventricular function in COPD with cor pulmonale]

Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), right ventricular peak filling rate (RVPFR) and right atrial early diastolic emptying rate (RAER) were measured with radionuclide gated blood pool scintigraphy in 19 healthy subjects and 15 cases of COPD with cor pulmonale and right heart catheterization was performed in the latter group. It was shown that RVEF in the group of cor pulmonale patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was significantly lower than that of the group of healthy subjects and cor pulmonale patients without PAH (P < 0.001, P < 0.001), no difference in RVEF was found between cor pulmonale patients without PAH and healthy subjects. As pulmonary arterial pressure increased, RAER and RVPFR decreased gradually, and the reduction of RAER and RVPFR occurred earlier than that of RVEF. It is suggested that right ventricular diastolic function may be impaired before right ventricular systolic function.