Relation between right ventricular mass and cavity size: an analysis of 1500 human hearts.

We examined data on the mass, area and myocardial abnormality (scar or infarction) of the right ventricular free wall (RVFW) from 1500 consecutive dissections of hearts that came to autopsy. There were 447 hearts with associated coronary and ischemic heart disease (CAD) and 826 without CAD. RVFW mass was used as an index of hypertrophy (RVH) and RVFW area was used as an index of dilatation (RVD). In both groups of hearts, RVH and RVD were strongly correlated and can be properly referred to as one entity: right ventricular enlargement (RVE). Right ventricular infarction occurred both with and without RVE but rarely without CAD. Right ventricular infarction usually assumed an apical or basal pattern of distribution parallel to that of the adjacent left ventricular lesion.