title: Evaluation of right ventricular regional volume and systolic function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension using three-dimensional echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate right ventricular (RV) regional volume and systolic function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) using real time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE), and to explore the relationship between parameters measured by RT3DE and right heart catheterization (RHC).
  
  
  METHODS
  RT3DE images were acquired from 24 patients with PAH and 27 normal controls for evaluation and analysis to obtain RV regional end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF) in three compartments (inflow, body, and outflow). Conventional echocardiographic parameters were calculated and recorded. RHC was performed in 17 patients to obtain pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  RV regional EDV and ESV were significantly higher while regional EF was significantly lower in the PAH patients when compared with controls (P < 0.001). In the PAH group, EDV was similar in the inflow and body compartment, both higher than that in the outflow compartment (P < 0.05); EF was the highest in the inflow compartment and the lowest in the body compartment (P < 0.05). RV regional EF in the inflow compartment and global EF were negatively correlated with PASP (r =-0.766, -0.816, P < 0.001) and PVR (r =-0.529, -0.656, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with PAH, RV regional volume was enlarged and systolic function was impaired with distinct characteristics; regional EF in the inflow compartment and global EF were inversely correlated with PASP and PVR. Evaluation of RV regional systolic function using RT3DE may play a potential role in the noninvasive assessment of the severity of PAH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Echocardiography, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dehong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Xianhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Cuizhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Leilei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Haohua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Daxin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*