Electrocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of right ventricular hypertrophy verified at autopsy.

Four commonly used sets of electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria for diagnosing right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) were tested for sensitivity and specificity in 12 men with isolated RVH, 15 with combined right and left ventricular hypertrophy and 24 with normal ventricular weights. The cardiac ventricles were weighed separately at autopsy and the left-to-right ratio was calculated. All the patients showing isolated RVH, with a left-to-right ratio of two or less, had died of respiratory causes. Three sets of ECG criteria showed a specificity of 100 percent, but sensitivities only from 26 to 44 percent. One set was more sensitive (74 percent) but much less specific than the others (79 percent). A new combination of ECG criteria attained a 63 percent sensitivity and a 96 percent specificity.