Correlation between Mean Pulmonary Arterial Pressure Measurement by Echocardiography and Right Ventricular Function

Echocardiography is usually the first imaging modality for the evaluation of the structural and functional disorders of the heart and the great vessels. Color flow and Doppler images can provide hemodynamic and bloodstream assessment. The goal of this study was to investigate the function of the right ventricular (RV) using echocardiography in patients with an increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) (>25 mmHg).

This cross-sectional study recruited patients with an elevated mean PAP (>25 mmHg) according to echocardiography. The RV function was evaluated in terms of the fractional area change (FAC), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), the myocardial performance index (Tei index), and the S-wave velocity. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 16, as well as the Chi-square test, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the t-test. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

The mean FAC and the mean tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in the group with a mean PVR value of <2 WU were significantly higher than the mean FAC and the mean TAPSE in the group with a minimum mean PVR value of 2 WU (P = 0.006 and P = 0.04, respectively).

The RV function measured in terms of some basic echocardiographic parameters – namely the FAC, the S-wave velocity, the Tie index, and TAPSE – had a significant correlation with the mean PAP. In addition, the FAC value was more sensitive to an abnormal PVR value owing to the high frequency of the abnormal FAC values in the range of abnormal PVR values.