[Determination of the size of the right atrium in patients with pulmonary hypertension using 2-dimensional echocardiography].

Normal values for right atrial area and tricuspid annular diameter and their percentage shortening measured from the two-dimensional echocardiographic four-chamber view are now available. In this study right atrial size of patients with pulmonary hypertension is evaluated and the results compared with the M-mode findings of the right ventricle in order to detect pulmonary hypertension. Hemodynamics and echocardiograms of 60 patients (mean age 57 +/- 10 years) with mitral stenosis III-IV NYHA and concomitant pulmonary hypertension were examined. 20 patients in group I with atrial fibrillation had additional functional tricuspid incompetence. Unlike the 20 patients in group II, who had atrial fibrillation, the remaining 20 in group III were still in sinus rhythm. The mean pulmonary artery pressure was 44.1 +/- 9.3 mmHg in group I, in group II 33.9 +/- 6.3 mmHg (grp. I vs. grp. II p less than 0.001) and in group III 33.2 +/- 7.1 mmHg (grp. II vs. grp. III ns). The end-systolic index of the right atrial area in group I was 19.6 +/- 5.7 cm2/m2 and thus significantly greater than in group II with 10.6 +/- 2.3 cm2/m2 (p less than 0.001) and in group III with 9.1 +/- 2.5 cm2/m2 (p less than 0.001). The maximal diameter of the tricuspid annulus measured 24.6 +/- 5.5 mm/m2 in group I, 18.9 +/- 3.5 mm/m2 in group II (grp. I vs. grp. II p less than 0.001) and 20.2 +/- 2.2 mm/m2 in group II (grp. I vs. grp. II p less than 0.001) and 20.2 +/- 2.2 mm/m2 in group III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)