RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL MASS QUANTIFICATION WITH MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Alterations of right ventricular (RV) size and shape are common in both congenital and acquired cardiopulmonary disease. Noninvasive quantification of RV mass could enhance the assessment of various hemodynamic overloads in such patients, as well as response to treatment. Left ventricular mass can be estimated using magnetic resonance imagery,1-3 echocardiography,4 x-ray transmission computed tomography,5 single photon emission computed tomography6 and contrast ventriculography.7 RV mass has been estimated invasively in a single report8 and a single abstract has been published measuring RV mass by x-ray transmission computed tomography.9 Gated magnetic resonance imagery provides excellent detail of cardiac anatomy10-12 through the use of orthogonal planes, as well as angled views that simulate echocardiographic imaging planes. This study evaluates magnetic resonance estimation RV mass in vitro. © 1990.