Imaging the failing right ventricle

Purpose of review This article will review the noninvasive modalities currently available for imaging the right ventricle, including two-dimensional echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) and PET. Recent findings Improvements in established imaging techniques, as well as development of newer imaging modalities, have shed light on the right ventricle's adaptation to pressure and volume overload states and have allowed better prognostication in patients with right ventricular failure (RVF). Summary As therapies are developed to alter the natural history of RVF, a better understanding of the imaging modalities for the assessment of right ventricular morphology and function is needed. This review will provide an approach to investigating the patient with suspected RVF and highlight the strengths and weakness of each imaging modality.