Asymmetry of right ventricular enlargement in response to tricuspid regurgitation.
BACKGROUND
Analysis of right ventricular adaptation to tricuspid regurgitation was studied in 10 heart transplant recipients following inadvertent endomyocardial biopsy disruption of the tricuspid apparatus.


RESULTS
Echocardiography demonstrated progressive diastolic right ventricular cavity enlargement (19.5+/-5.0 to 30.3+/-5.4 cm(2), P<0.0002), with disproportionate elongation along the midminor axis (3.5+/-0.6 to 5. 0+/-0.5 cm, P<0.001). As the right ventricle remodeled to more spherical (and less elliptical) proportions, the end-diastolic right ventricular midminor axis/long axis ratio increased significantly from 0.52+/-0.10 to 0.68+/-0.07, P<0.005.


CONCLUSIONS
Ventricular enlargement due to right ventricular volume overload results in disproportionate dilation along the free wall to septum minor axis.
Reynertson
S I
SI
Division of Cardiology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL USA.
Kundur
R
R
Mullen
G M
GM
Costanzo
M R
MR
McKiernan
T L
TL
Louie
E K
EK
D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013599:Systole; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology