A Critical Evaluation of the Roentgen Criteria of Right Ventricular Enlargement

We believe that right ventricular enlargement is "over-diagnosed" radiologically, and this becomes apparent when radiologic interpretation is attempted without the help of other data. We tested this impression in a study of 25 cases of tetralogy of Fallot and 40 cases of other types of congenital pulmonary stenosis. In these cases there was usually no right ventricular dilatation. The roentgen determination of right ventricular hypertrophy was found to be decidedly of limited value. There were few infants in the present study and the conclusion should not be construed as necessarily including this group.