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