RE:VPTVPT is on the right track and soon enough we will be there...
According to the American Society of Echocardiography Working Group, Quantification of Right Ventricle (RV) function is needed under MOST circumstances. “Although multiple methods for quantitative echocardiographic RV assessment have been described, in clinical practice assessment of RV structure and function remains mostly qualitative. Nevertheless, numerous studies have recently emphasized the importance of RV function in the prognosis of a variety of cardiopulmonary diseases suggesting that more routine quantification of RV function is warranted under most clinical circumstances.”
Echocardiographic measurements of size and estimates of function of the left ventricle are widely used clinically, and are known to be of diagnostic as well as prognostic importance in patients with cardiac disease. It is widely accepted that evaluation of the RV is just as important. However, assessment of the RV is challenging, as the 2-dimensional (2D) approaches to the evaluation of size and function of the RV fail to give accurate results. The RV needs to be analyzed or quantified which is difficult to achieve due to the complex shape of the RV. This is predominantly due to the complex anatomy of the RV, not resembling any known geometrical shape. 3D Ultrasound presents its own unique challenges for RV assessment that have yet to be overcome by technology. VMS™ has emerged as the tool of choice for not only ease of use, but for accurate and reproducible RV analysis with 2D Echo.