Three-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular volume and function in adult patients with congenital heart disease: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound compared with the standard magnetic resonance imaging method in determining right ventricular (RV) volumes and function in adult patients with congenital heart disease and chronic, severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR).

METHODS: Twenty-five patients with severe PR secondary to either pulmonary valvotomy or tetralogy of Fallot repair were evaluated using 3D ultrasound and MRI.

RESULTS: The mean RV ejection fractions were 42 +/- 8% on 3D ultrasound and 44 +/- 7% on MRI (r = 0.89, P < .0001). The mean end-diastolic volumes were 249 +/- 66 and 274 +/- 82 mL and the mean end-systolic volumes 147 +/- 50 and 159 +/- 60 mL on 3D ultrasound and MRI, respectively. Similarly, there were strong correlations of both end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume on 3D ultrasound and MRI (r = 0.88 and r = 0.89, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional ultrasound was comparable with MRI in determining RV size and function in most patients with complex congenital heart disease. It will be important to study 3D US in a larger population of patients with TOF, which will be possible only through multi-center collaboration.