title: Recovery of right and left ventricular function after acute pulmonary embolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate recovery of cardiac function after acute pulmonary embolism (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Routine breath-held computed tomography (CT)-pulmonary angiography was performed in patients with suspected PE to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of PE at initial presentation. Electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered cardiac CT was performed to assess biventricular function. After 6 months, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. In total, 15 consecutive patients with PE and 10 without were studied. A significant change in ventricular volume was defined as a >15% change in end-diastolic or -systolic volumes (EDV, ESV), and significant ventricular function improvement as a >5% increase in ejection fraction (EF) as based on reported cut-off values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Right and left ventricular (RV and LV) EDV and ESV changed non-significantly (<1.3%) in the patients without PE, indicating good comparability of those values measured by CT and MRI. PE patients with baseline normal RV function (RVEF ≥ 47%) revealed a >5% improvement in the RVEF (+5.4 ± 3.1%) due to a decrease in the RVESV. Patients with baseline abnormal RV function showed a >5% improvement in the RVEF (+14 ± 15%) due to decreases in both the RVESV and RVEDV. Furthermore, the LVEDV increased in this latter patient group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrated an improvement in RV function in the majority of patients with PE, independent of baseline RV function. The degree of RV and LV recovery was dependent on the severity of baseline RV dysfunction.
authors: Section of Vascular Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine-Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. f.a.klok@lumc.nl
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Klok
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Romeih
authors: L J M
authors: LJ
authors: Kroft
authors: J J M
authors: JJ
authors: Westenberg
authors: M V
authors: MV
authors: Huisman
authors: A
authors: A
authors: de Roos
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000792:Angiography; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology