Assessment of the right ventricle with radionuclide techniques.

The right ventricle has a prominent role in determining overall cardiac function. Thus an accurate measurement of right ventricular (RV) function is important. Radionuclide angiography has advanced our ability to measure RV function. In this way, it has furthered our understanding of the pathophysiology of disease states involving the right ventricle. This article reviews the current methods of measuring RV function by radionuclide angiography. The physiology of normal RV function is discussed. Then several common disease states in which RV dysfunction is prominent are addressed.