title: Non-invasive evaluation of pulmonary arterial and right ventricular pressures with contrast enhanced Doppler signals of tricuspid regurgitation flow using sonicated albumin solution.
abstract: To determine the feasibility of the non-invasive determination of systolic pressure of the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle in pediatric patients, the velocity of tricuspid regurgitation was measured in 30 patients using a contrast enhanced Doppler echocardiography. After sonicated albumin injection, trivial tricuspid regurgitation signals were enhanced in 27 patients (90%). Peak systolic velocity was not altered by before and after sonicated albumin injection in 2 patients. Right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure obtained by continuous wave Doppler during sonicated albumin enhancement corresponded very closely to that measured by catheter in 27 patients (r = 0.96). In 27 patients, difference of estimation of RV systolic pressure by non-enhanced Doppler and enhanced Doppler with sonicated albumin was statistically significant (32.3 +/- 27.6 mmHg versus 2.9 +/- 7.7 mmHg p < 0.001). Systolic pressure of pulmonary artery was estimated by RV systolic pressure measurement (by enhanced Doppler method) minus peak pressure gradient across the pulmonary valve (non-enhanced Doppler method). Pulmonary arterial systolic pressure measured by enhanced Doppler method and that by catheter method were highly significant (sonicated albumin method, r = 0.95). This technique may be a valuable non-invasive method for determining an accurate right ventricular and pulmonary arterial systolic pressures in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012996:Solutions; D013010:Sonication; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D003287:Contrast Media; D012996:Solutions