Summary

Using tricuspid valve echocardiogram, the right ventricular time intervals and relevant parameters of the normal persons were studied and compared with those of the patients with chronic cor pulmonale. Six parameters related to time intervals in a cardiac cycle for the early diagnosis of cor pulmonale were proposed, i.e., RIRT≥37 ms, RIRT/C-D≥0.076, RIRT/REML≥0.613, REML≤53 ms, RSTI≤420 ms and RMST≤356 ms. The use of these parameters for the early diagnosis of cor polmonale is more significant than conventional criteria. A combined use of these parameters with the conventional criteria may improve further the use of echocardiogram for the early diagnosis of cor pulmonale.