May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Heart Disease Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Can Pulmonary Hypertension be detected on a 2-d Echocardiogram? If so, what numbers/results on the Echocardiogram are the ones that show Pulmonary Hypertension? Are the TR Max Velocity, RAP and RVSP the relevant ones? Dear Ruben: Pulmonary arterial pressure can be estimated from 2D echocardiogram by measuring the gradient across the tricuspid valve. This relies on the presence of a jet of tricuspid regurgitation and the fact that the Doppler signal from the echo is perpendicular to the jet. This is converted from a velocity or speed to a gradient using a simple equation. An estimate is then made of the right atrial pressure which is added to the gradient. Obviously there are a lot of assumptions and therefore 2D echo only provides a very approximate estimate of pulmonary arterial pressure. The most accurate measremnet of pulmonary hypertension is a right heart catheterisation. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 29 March 2010 ) |
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