• Enrico Vizzardi, Ivano Bonadei, Edoardo Sciatti, Natalia Pezzali, Davide Farina, Antonio D'Aloia, and Marco Metra.
• Sections of Cardiovascular Disease (E.V., I.B., E.S., N.P., A.D., M.M.) and Radiology (D.F.), Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. enrico.vizzardi@tin.it.
• J Ultrasound Med. 2015 Feb 1;34(2):247-55.

ObjectivesRight ventricular (RV) performance parameters (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, systolic longitudinal velocity on tissue Doppler imaging, fractional area change, and tissue and 2-dimensional [2D] strain on the right free wall) have been validated. In comparative studies, they have been correlated with the prognosis of patients with heart failure on radionuclide ventriculography and thermodilution in right heart catheterization. This study aimed to evaluate RV systolic function in patients with heart failure with no or mild RV dysfunction and correlate the above-mentioned echocardiographic parameters with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-calculated RV ejection fraction (RVEF), stroke volume, end-diastolic volume, and end-systolic volume.MethodsStandard and pulsed Doppler tissue echocardiography and MRI were performed in 31 patients with New York Heart Association functional class II and III chronic heart failure.ResultsA high correlation between tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, systolic longitudinal velocity, tissue strain, and 2D strain was noted, whereas the fractional area change did not correlate with any other parameter. The RVEF correlated with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, systolic longitudinal velocity, and tissue and 2D strain (all P< .01); under linear regression analysis, the 4 parameters independently correlated with RVEF.ConclusionsEchocardiographic RV performance parameters (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, systolic longitudinal velocity, tissue strain, and 2D strain) correlated with the MRI-calculated RVEF and overall predicted it. In particular, RV 2D strain and tissue strain were good markers for RV longitudinal motions. These echocardiographic parameters are easily obtained and may give important information about RV function for evaluation and prognostic stratification of patients with heart failure.© 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

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