Echocardiographic Evaluation of the Right Ventricle: a 2014 Perspective

The ability to properly evaluate the right ventricular size and function can have important consequences for clinical management and prognosis. Echocardiography is and will remain the leading method of right ventricle (RV) assessment due to its ease of use and wealth of diagnostic information provided. Understanding the various strengths and limitations of the diverse echocardiographic methods of RV assessment can allow a systematic approach to resolve situations where one’s quantitative parameters are not necessarily concordant. Quantification of RV volume can be done by two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. Measurements of RV systolic function include fractional area change (FAC), right-sided index of myocardial performance (RIMP), RV ejection fraction (RVEF), tricuspid annular plane excursion by M-Mode (TAPSE), tricuspid annular systolic longitudinal velocity by tissue Doppler (S’), and regional strain and strain rate. RVEF can also be assessed volumetrically by 3D echocardiography. This article will review the current methods used in contemporary echocardiography laboratories, with an emphasis on a guideline-based approach as well as emerging techniques.