Advanced echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance in congenital heart disease : insights in right ventricular mechanics and clinical implications

Abstract

The thesis provides new insights into advanced echocardiographic and magnetic resonance imaging techniques for comprehensive mechanical assessment of the right ventricle in healthy children and in pediatric patients with right ventricular dysfunction. It is shown that the right ventricle does not contract synchronously in the longitudinal direction and that this is related to right ventricular function. Various echocardiographic (Tissue Doppler imaging, Speckle tracking, 3D echocardiography) and magnetic resonance imaging techniques (Tissue Velocity imaging, 3D flow imaging) are validated for use in the right ventricle in pediatric patients.