ABSTRACT
The right heart tends to be a relatively neglected part of the standard transthoracic echo study, because: much of the right heart lies behind the sternum, making it difficult to image using ultrasound and the anatomy and orientation of the right heart is relatively complex, compared with the left. It also include: the right ventricle is trabeculated, which makes accurate measurements difficult. Assessment of right atrium (RA) size can be challenging in view of the difficulty in imaging it clearly. Where the inferior vena cava enters the RA there is often an embryological remnant, the Eustachian valve, which in fetal life directs oxygenated blood away from the tricuspid valve and towards the foramen ovale. The tricuspid valve is rheumatic in appearance with a central jet of regurgitation. Pulmonary stenosis is often associated with other congenital heart disorders, and so look carefully for any other structural heart defects. Pulmonary hypertension refers to an increase in blood pressure within the pulmonary vasculature.
