Right ventricular enlargement
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Radswiki T, Campos A, Bell D, et al. Right ventricular enlargement. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 14 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-12942
rID:
12942
Article created:
6 Feb 2011,
The Radswiki ◉
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created The Radswiki had no recorded disclosures.
View The Radswiki's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures
Revisions:
12 times, by
12 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Right ventricular dilatation
- Right ventricular dilatation (RVD)
Right ventricular enlargement (also known as right ventricular dilatation (RVD)) can be the result of a number of conditions, including:
Clinical presentation
ECG
right axis deviation
secondary repolarization (ST-T) abnormalities (leads V1-3)
deep S waves in lateral (I, aVL, V5-6) leads
-
tall, prominent R waves in lead V1
may be masked in the presence of COPD
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph
Frontal view demonstrates:
rounded left heart border
uplifted cardiac apex
Lateral view demonstrates:
filling of the retrosternal space
rotation of the heart posteriorly
Ultrasound
Echocardiography
On transthoracic echocardiography the apical 4 chamber (A4C) view allows a qualitative assessment of the presence or absence of right ventricular enlargement, as well as the degree of severity 4:
-
mild RV enlargement
basal diameter increased (>4.2 cm)
left ventricular size still exceeds that of the RV
-
moderate RV enlargement
the size of the RV approximates that of the left ventricle (LV)
the left ventricle still forms apex
-
severe RV enlargement
the RV forms the apex and is larger than the LV
References
- 1. Cardiac Imaging: The Requisites. (2004) ISBN: 032301755X - Google Books
- 2. William E. Brant, Clyde A. Helms. Fundamentals of Diagnostic Radiology. (2012) ISBN: 9781608319114 - Google Books
- 3. W. Richard Webb, Charles B. Higgins. Thoracic Imaging. (2011) ISBN: 9781605479767 - Google Books
- 4. Dandel M & Hetzer R. Evaluation of the Right Ventricle by Echocardiography: Particularities and Major Challenges. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2018;16(4):259-75. doi:10.1080/14779072.2018.1449646 - Pubmed
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