title: Evaluation of the right ventricular function in pneumoconiosis patients using volume-time curves obtained by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.
abstract: The study was aimed to evaluate the right ventricular function in pneumoconiosis patients by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography. A total of 80 individuals including 44 consecutive pneumoconiosis patients and 36 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers as controls were prospectively recruited for the study. All the patients underwent two- and three-dimensional echocardiography. Measurements of the right ventricle included tricuspid regurgitation pressure (TRPG), anterior and posterior wall thickness and range of motion (TH1, TH2, M1, M2), right end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume. The right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was also calculated. The RVEF of healthy volunteers ranged from 50 to 78 %, whereas that of the pneumoconiosis patients varied from 29 to 73 %. An increase in TRPG caused a significant (p = 0.006) decrease in RVEF (by 77.3 %), suggesting the two variables were negatively correlated (r = -0.643, p < 0.01). In comparison with normal, the volume-time curves of the pneumoconiosis patients showed a lower trough. Use of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography provides with added clinical information needed to evaluate right ventricular function in pneumoconiosis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, NO. 324 Jing Wu Road, Jinan, 250021, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Doufei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xinkai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lianqun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003199:Computer Systems; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*