Tommaso Semino, Gian M Rosa, Fiammetta Monacelli, Rinaldo Pellicano, Gianni Testino, Italo Porto
{"title":"Right ventricle: current knowledge of echocardiographic evaluation of this \"forgotten\" chamber.","authors":"Tommaso Semino, Gian M Rosa, Fiammetta Monacelli, Rinaldo Pellicano, Gianni Testino, Italo Porto","doi":"10.23736/S0026-4806.23.08575-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the past the right ventricle (RV) has been traditionally regarded as a simple conduit between the venous system and the pulmonary circulation and it has aroused little interest in both clinical and echocardiographic cardiologists to such an extent that it has been defined as the \"forgotten chamber.\" Subsequently it was clearly shown that the right heart (RH) plays an important physiologic role in cardiac activity, and that congenital or acquired alterations in its structure and function have an important prognostic value. Aim of this review is to shed the light on the echocardiographic approach to this cardiac chamber. In this narrative review we critically explored the most recent literature on this topic using PubMed and Medline and examining the most recent guidelines on the echocardiographic approach to the RV. Echocardiographic approach to RV presents some technical difficulties, which stem from the position of the RV inside the thorax and around the LV and from its particular anatomy, which precludes geometric assumptions. However, RV may now be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively in many ways, and some new methods can partially overcome some of the limits imposed by its complex anatomy, thereby yielding a quantitative evaluation. Furthermore, due to the wide range of pathologies which may involve the RV a disease-oriented approach should be considered in the echocardiographic investigation of right heart disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":18671,"journal":{"name":"Minerva medica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Minerva medica","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.23736/S0026-4806.23.08575-0","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/3/29 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"0","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In the past the right ventricle (RV) has been traditionally regarded as a simple conduit between the venous system and the pulmonary circulation and it has aroused little interest in both clinical and echocardiographic cardiologists to such an extent that it has been defined as the "forgotten chamber." Subsequently it was clearly shown that the right heart (RH) plays an important physiologic role in cardiac activity, and that congenital or acquired alterations in its structure and function have an important prognostic value. Aim of this review is to shed the light on the echocardiographic approach to this cardiac chamber. In this narrative review we critically explored the most recent literature on this topic using PubMed and Medline and examining the most recent guidelines on the echocardiographic approach to the RV. Echocardiographic approach to RV presents some technical difficulties, which stem from the position of the RV inside the thorax and around the LV and from its particular anatomy, which precludes geometric assumptions. However, RV may now be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively in many ways, and some new methods can partially overcome some of the limits imposed by its complex anatomy, thereby yielding a quantitative evaluation. Furthermore, due to the wide range of pathologies which may involve the RV a disease-oriented approach should be considered in the echocardiographic investigation of right heart disease.
期刊介绍:
Minerva Medica publishes scientific papers on internal medicine. Manuscripts may be submitted in the form of editorials, original articles, review articles, case reports, special articles, letters to the Editor and guidelines. The journal aims to provide its readers with papers of the highest quality and impact through a process of careful peer review and editorial work. Duties and responsibilities of all the subjects involved in the editorial process are summarized at Publication ethics.