Conclusion
It is widely accepted nowadays that the RV plays a crucial role in
various clinical settings. RV dysfunction is a strong independent
predictor of mortality and adverse outcomes not only in diseases
primarily affecting the right heart or the pulmonary vascular bed, but
also in diseases primarily involving the left ventricle, such as
congestive HF, dilated cardiomyopathy and ischaemic heart disease.
Innovative echocardiographic techniques such as STE and 3D
echocardiography overcome the pitfalls and challenges of conventional
parameters of RV assessment. While having good correlation with the gold
standard of CMR imaging, they have some advantages over CMR, such as
less cost and wider availability. Integrating novel techniques in the RV
echocardiographic assessment allows a comprehensive evaluation and an
enhanced risk stratification for patients with HF, thus improving
therapeutic strategies and potentially leading to an improved outcome.