[The assessment of right ventricular function and pulmonary artery hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary hypertension by 1.5T MRI].
OBJECTIVE
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by rising pulmonary arterial pressure, decreasing right ventricular (RV) function, and ultimately, RV failure. Therefore, it is important to monitor RV function and pulmonary artery hemodynamics accurately and noninvasively. This study evaluates cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in assessing RV function and pulmonary artery hemodynamics in patients with PH.


METHODS
Cine-MRI and phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) were performed in 25 PH patients and 30 healthy volunteers. Cine-MRI images were post-processed on Report Card software and the following parameters were obtained: RV end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and myocardial mass (MM). Except for EF, all of the above parameters were normalized to body surface area (BSA). PC-MRI images were post-processed on Report Card software, peak velocity and distensibility of main pulmonary artery (MPA) could also be obtained. Student t test was employed for statistical assessment.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, RV EDV, ESV and MM index in PH patients were significantly increased (P<0.01), EF was significantly impaired (P<0.01), peak velocity and distensibility of MPA were significantly lower (P<0.01). SV index between the two groups had no significant difference (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac MRI is of great value in the assessment of RV function and MPA hemodynamic parameters in patients with PH.
Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
Yan
Y
Han
Zhenwen
Z
Yang
Tielian
T
Yu
Jing
J
Yu
Mina
M
Xue
Zhang
Z
Zhang
Dong
D
Li
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right