Introduction:
Whilst most of the attention has been devoted to the left ventricle
in cardiovascular disease, the right ventricle has been somewhat neglected. In the last decades, there has been a renewal of
interest in the right ventricle, in part driven by advances in
cardiovascular imaging.
Methods:
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance is arguably the best imaging modality for the study of the right ventricle.
In this research thesis, cardiovascular magnetic resonance
was used as the primary research tool to assess the right ventricle
in different conditions and settings.
Results:
This thesis encompasses five studies that have been published as
peer - reviewed articles. The results of these studies were the following: 1)Right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction was
found in a group of patients with Marfan syndrome, further supporting the existence of a Marfan - related cardiomyopathy; 2)
In thalassaemia major, right ventricular volumes and ejection fraction differed from healthy controls, and new reference ranges based on patients without iron overload were derived;
3) Myocardial iron loading in thalassaemia major was associated with progressive right ventricular dysfunction; 4) Right ventricular
dysfunction due to myocardial siderosis was reversible with effective iron chelation therapy, and; 5) In advanced heart failure,
right ventricular function was a predictor of response and
outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Conclusion:
The right ventricle is an essential component of the circulatory system, and should be more widely evaluated in patients
with cardiopulmonary disease
