[The assessment of right ventricular structure and function in patients with different cardiovascular diseases using modern echocardiographic technologies and magnetic resonance imaging].

ABSTRACT

AIM: To perform comparative analysis of right ventricular (RV) structure and function in patients with various cardiovascular diseases using modern echocardiographic technologies in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 85 patients. Group 1 consisted of 32 patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH) (mean age 35.910.2 years). Group 2 included 27 patients with arterial hypertension (AH) grade 3 (mean age 58.612.3 years). Group 3 consisted of 26 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) (mean age 56.115.3 years). Control group included 28 healthy volunteers (mean age 38.710.9 years). The main method was transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) using modern technologies, such as three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). In some patients and healthy volunteers 3DE data were compared with MRI data. RESULTS: Patients with IPH and CHF had minimal RV ejection fraction (EF) both according to 3DE and MRI. Correlation analysis revealed close correlation between RV volumes and EF according to 3DE and MRI. Minimal values of systolic indicator STV according to TDI were observed in patients with CHF. In all groups, including control group, the highest values of STV were obtained at the level of the basal segments and the lowest values at the level of apical segments. STE revealed the same pattern as TDI. According to STE minimal RV strain was observed in IPH and CHF groups and significantly differed not only from control group, but also from AH group. CONCLUSION: The lowest values of RV EF and strain were observed in IPH and CHF groups. There were no significant differences in these indicators between the groups, that dictates the need for thorough assessment of RV structure and function not only in patients with precapillary, but also with postcapillary pulmonary hypertension. The results of the study confirm good comparability of 3DE and MRI in assessing RV volumes and EF.