Figure 1.

Schematic illustration of the right ventricle and the difficulties to include the whole volume. The inflow and outflow tracts are in the same plane – an oblique sagittal plane – as the apex. The right ventricle (RV) is depicted with the adjacent structures of the right atrium (RA), the pulmonary trunk (PA), the sternum (S), the ascending aorta (Ao), and lung tissue. (A) The sternum, ribs, and lung tissue can shadow the imaging of the RV, in particular the anterior part of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). (B) Either the anterior part of the RV or the apex may not be included in the whole volume when trying to overcome this shadowing, especially if the RV is dilated. Reproduced from Ostenfeld E, Carlsson M, Shahgaldi K, Roijer A & Holm J 2012 Manual correction of semi-automatic three-dimensional echocardiography is needed for right ventricular assessment in adults; validation with cardiac magnetic resonance. Cardiovascular Ultrasound 10 1, published as an open access article by Biomed Central.