Right ventricle: The unforgettable chamber
For many years, the right ventricle received less attention than the left ventricle and was relegated to a Cinderella status. Human folly, as always have been, short lived, fortunately, and now we know that a modernist approach to improve quality of life (6-mimue walk test) and well-being of the RV (improved TAPSE) is at our disposal, as shown by the Triluminate trial 12. Although the investigators have used TAPSE in the trial, it is possible to simultaneously compute TAPSE, RV strain and fractional area change (FAC%) at one go, using 2D strain in real time, providing a more comprehensive picture of RV systolic function. (Fig 7).
To conclude, the painstakingly written review 3published simultaneously in this issue of the journal, the authors focused on the mechanistic, computational, and clinical aspects of speckle tracking strain imaging of the left ventricle. This document may stand out as a stand-alone reference guide for the application of strain in a wide variety of cardiac illnesses by novice and expert sonographers and cardiologists alike. Non only that, the review could be useful for the ultrasound physicists and engineers for future advancements in AI-powered strain imaging technologies, eventually contributing to improved diagnosis, prognosis, and management of various cardiac conditions. With that goal, it is time that we had an ultrafast, AI-driven full-proof tool for quantifying cardiac quadri-chamber mechanical function that can “revolutionize” cardiology13 in a similar fashion as did Einstein´s E= mc.2 Given the superior spatial and temporal resolution of the modern stain software, this is no longer a distant dream, unlike in the cases of celestial bodies.