Which parameter is used to assess right ventricular longitudinal function and prognosis in pulmonary hypertension?

Which parameter is used to assess right ventricular longitudinal function and prognosis in pulmonary hypertension?

• A. TAPSE measures LV diastolic function.
• B. TAPSE is used to assess right ventricular longitudinal function and prognosis.
• C. TAPSE quantifies LVOT gradient.
• D. TAPSE assesses left atrial size.

Answer: (B)

Right ventricular longitudinal function is a primary driver of outcome in pulmonary hypertension, because the RV’s ability to shorten along its long axis reflects how well it can handle increased afterload. TAPSE, or tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, directly measures this longitudinal shortening. By using M-mode in the apical four-chamber view, you quantify how far the tricuspid annulus moves toward the apex during systole. A larger excursion means better RV longitudinal systolic performance; a reduced TAPSE indicates impaired RV function and correlates with worse prognosis in pulmonary hypertension. Because the RV has a complex shape, TAPSE provides a simple, reproducible, and clinically meaningful proxy for overall RV systolic function and helps guide risk stratification and management. TAPSE specifically assesses the right ventricle, not the left ventricle, so it does not measure LV diastolic function. It also does not quantify the LVOT gradient or left atrial size, so those options don’t fit.

Right ventricular longitudinal function is a primary driver of outcome in pulmonary hypertension, because the RV’s ability to shorten along its long axis reflects how well it can handle increased afterload. TAPSE, or tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, directly measures this longitudinal shortening. By using M-mode in the apical four-chamber view, you quantify how far the tricuspid annulus moves toward the apex during systole. A larger excursion means better RV longitudinal systolic performance; a reduced TAPSE indicates impaired RV function and correlates with worse prognosis in pulmonary hypertension. Because the RV has a complex shape, TAPSE provides a simple, reproducible, and clinically meaningful proxy for overall RV systolic function and helps guide risk stratification and management.

TAPSE specifically assesses the right ventricle, not the left ventricle, so it does not measure LV diastolic function. It also does not quantify the LVOT gradient or left atrial size, so those options don’t fit.