Imaging the right heart pulmonary circulation unit: Insights from advanced ultrasound techniques.
Francesco FerraraLuna GarganiEllen OstenfeldMichele D'AltoJaroslaw KasprzakDamien VoilliotChristine Selton-SutyOlga VrizAlberto M MarraPaola ArgientoAnna A StanziolaAntonio CittadiniAntonello D'AndreaEduardo BossonePublished in: Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) (2017)
The right heart pulmonary circulation unit (RH-PCU) is a key determinant of prognosis in several cardiorespiratory diseases. Although right heart catheterization is considered the gold standard for pulmonary hemodynamic assessment, a comprehensive cardiovascular ultrasound approach is an essential step in the diagnostic-prognostic clinical pathway of patients with suspect or overt pulmonary hypertension. The exponential development of advanced ultrasound techniques (strain, 3-dimensional echocardiography and lung ultrasound) has led to new insights into the evaluation of RH-PCU structure and function, overcoming some limitations of standard Doppler echocardiography. In the near future, exercise Doppler echocardiography may become a useful technique for detecting a latent stage of pulmonary hypertension and for evaluating right ventricular contractile reserve.
Keyphrases
- pulmonary hypertension
- pulmonary artery
- magnetic resonance imaging
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
- ultrasound guided
- heart failure
- contrast enhanced ultrasound
- atrial fibrillation
- blood flow
- high intensity
- left ventricular
- computed tomography
- physical activity
- coronary artery
- current status
- mass spectrometry
- silver nanoparticles