[Magnetic resonance imaging and pulmonary hypertension: towards an improved evaluation of right heart and pulmonary circulation].

In patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), right ventricular (RV) function carries prognostic implications and this explains why RV function must be systematically evaluated at baseline and during follow-up. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance imaging (CMR) is nowadays considered the gold standard technique for non-invasively evaluating RV morphology and function. Pulmonary hemodynamics may be also successfully studied by CMR.The severity and prognosis of PH are related to a number of CMR-derived cardiac and pulmonary artery variables. The main CMR-derived cardiac variables related to the severity and prognosis of PH are a lowered RV ejection fraction, paradoxical septal motion and decreased left ventricular dimension relative to RV. The main CMR-derived pulmonary artery variables related to the severity and prognosis of PH are a decreased compliance and decreased mean fl ow velocity. CMR plays a key role in the non-invasive evaluation of RV function and pulmonary hemodynamics of PH patients. It is likely that CMR will improve the rationale evaluation and survey of these patients in the near future.