Right Ventricular Systolic Function
Whilst there have been several case reports on isolated RV involvement in myocarditis, there is only one published study that fulfilled our search criteria assessed RV systolic functional parameters in a cohort of patients with myocarditis(17). This study demonstrated that both traditional echocardiographic measures of RV size and systolic function including RV strain parameters are both impaired in patients with myocarditis. The prognostic significance of RV impairment has been established in several cardiac pathologies, particularly non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, a known complication of myocarditis(37). RV systolic dysfunction is a known independent predictor of transplant-free survival and adverse heart failure outcomes in dilated cardiomyopathy(37). Therefore, the there is definitely some value in assessing RV size and function in patients with myocarditis, as these parameters may not only assist in the diagnostic process, but may also provide prognostic information