Radiology of the right ventricle

Right ventricular dysfunction may be subtle, and it of ten goes undiagnosed. The response of the right ventricle to a wide variety of acquired and congenital pulmonary and cardiac diseases is nonspecific; the chamber dilates in face of increased volume, and the myocardium hypertrophies in face of increased pulmonary resistance. The radiographic appearance of these changes may be inferred on plain chest film examination by identification of characteristic abnormalities. Using contrast angiographic technique, changes in chamber size and shape can be directly demonstrated, and changes in wall morphology inferred. MR imaging directly shows the size of the ventricular cavity and the morphology and mass of the right ventricular myocardium, thus affording a means of more complete evaluation of the functional status of the right ventricle.