title: Assessment of the right ventricular function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using MRI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with changes of the structure and the function of the right ventricle (RV). Therefore, the assessment of right ventricular function and myocardial mass (MM) is clinically important for the evaluation of the severity of COPD, which may provide an objective basis for therapeutic strategy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the right ventricular function and RV MM in patients with mild to severe COPD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 49 COPD patients determined by the pulmonary function test (PFT). Using the Global Initiative for COPD classification, the COPD patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of the disease: group I = mild (n = 18); group II = moderate (n = 16); and group III = severe (n = 15). The patient groups were compared to a control group consisting of 30 age-matched, healthy, non-smoking subjects. The RV function and RV MM were obtained by 1.5T cardiac MRI in all of the four groups. The results were compared among the four groups using the ANOVA. Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between the right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) and MM with the PFT results in COPD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RVEF was significantly lower in group III than in the other groups (P < 0.01). The RV MM differed significantly among all groups (P < 0.01) and gradually increased with the severity of COPD (P < 0.01). The correlation was significant between the MRI results and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = 0.860 for RVEF, r = -0.838 for RV MM) in COPD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RVEF and RV MM measured by MRI correlate significantly with the severity of disease as determined by PFT in patients with COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xiangying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Kuncheng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*