Noninvasive Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Overview

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Right ventricular (RV) failure in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is associated with increased hospitalizations, worsening functional class, and poor survival. Accurate RV function assessment is essential in diagnosing RV failure, guiding therapies, and determining prognosis. Noninvasive imaging techniques provide fast and reliable quantification of RV morphology and function. RECENT FINDINGS: We review echocardiography, nuclear medicine, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses for RV function assessment in patients with PAH and LVAD. We identify current knowledge gaps in utilizing noninvasive tests to assess RV function. Echocardiography is most widely used to quantify RV function in patients with PAH and LVAD, followed by cardiac MRI for RV morphology and function measurement in PAH patients. The first-pass radionuclide angiography with radiolabeled RBC is the gold standard for calculating RV function. Gated blood pool SPECT can be an alternative as it separates the cardiac chambers well and provides accurate assessment of the RV function with high reproducibility, which is particularly useful for monitoring treatment. More research is needed to compare and validate these modalities in evaluating RV function.