Evaluation of the hemodynamics and right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension by echocardiography compared with right-sided heart catheterization

The present study aimed to evaluate hemodynamics and right ventricular function in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) using transthoracic echocardiography and to compare these results with measurements obtained using right-sided heart catheterization (RHC). A total of 75 patients with PH were examined using echocardiography and RHC. Patients were divided into the following two groups according to their difference between SPAP(echo) and SPAP(RHC) measurement: The overestimated group and underestimated group. The overestimated group included the subgroups group(over-A) (difference <20 mmHg) and group(over-B) (difference ≥20 mmHg), and the underestimated group included group(under-A) (absolute value of the difference <20 mmHg) and group(under-B) (absolute value of the difference ≥20 mmHg). SPAP(echo) measurements were revealed to be significantly positively correlated with SPAP(RHC) measurements (r=0.794; P<0.01). Among all echocardiographic measurements, only tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly different between groups; it was increased in group(over-A) and group(under-A) compared with group(over-B) (P<0.01). Although SPAP measurements obtained using echocardiography were significantly positively correlated with those obtained using RHC, a high proportion of overestimation or underestimation of SPAP by echocardiography remained.