Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a term used to classify a
variety of conditions that share in common an injury to the pulmonary
vasculature that produces elevations in pulmonary arterial pressure.
However, it is the integrity of right ventricular function, rather than
the degree of vascular injury, that is the major determinant of symptoms
and survival in PAH. The article will review the normal structure and
function of the right ventricle and summarize the impact of PAH and its
treatments on right ventricular function.