ASE Guidelines—The 2014 Perspective
Benjamin F. Byrd, III, MD, FASE During my year as ASE President, I’ve observed with great interest the process of taking ASE’s Guidelines from concept to publication. These documents not…
Lean Body Mass May Explain Apparent Racial Differences in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Obese Children
Background Racial differences in carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) have been suggested to be associated with the disproportionally high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in black adults. The objective of this study…
Extracardiac Findings on Routine Echocardiographic Examinations
Background Incidental extracardiac findings (ECFs) have been described and studied in myocardial perfusion imaging, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance scanning. The literature is surprisingly limited with regard to…
Doxorubicin and Trastuzumab Regimen Induces Biventricular Failure in Mice
Background An increased risk for cardiac dysfunction is reported when the anti–epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (ErbB2) antibody trastuzumab (Trz) is combined with doxorubicin (Dox) as adjuvant chemotherapy for…
Normal Ranges of Right Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Strain Measures in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background Establishment of the range of normal values and associated variations of two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE)–derived right ventricular (RV) strain is a prerequisite for its routine clinical application in…
The Feasibility and Clinical Utility of Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography in Clinical Practice: Results from the Incorporation of Myocardial Perfusion Assessment into Clinical Testing with Stress Echocardiography Study
Background This prospective study investigated whether the incorporation of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) into a clinical stress echocardiography service reproduces the benefits of assessing myocardial perfusion proved previously in research…
Follow-Up of Heart Transplant Recipients with Serial Echocardiographic Coronary Flow Reserve and Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography to Detect Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy
Background Implementation of reliable noninvasive testing for screening cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is of critical importance. The most widely used modality, dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), has moderate sensitivity and specificity….
Extracardiac Findings on Echocardiography: Blissful Ignorance or a Call to Improve Our Training?
Noninvasive cardiac imaging is one of the pillars of clinical cardiology, with echocardiography being the most widely used imaging modality for assessing cardiovascular anatomy and function. In the United States…
Relationship between Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Septal Strain and Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Left Bundle Branch Block: A Prospective Pilot Study
Background Previous studies have demonstrated variable patterns of longitudinal septal deformation in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and left bundle branch block. This prospective single center study was designed…
Early Assessment of Strain Echocardiography Can Accurately Exclude Significant Coronary Artery Stenosis in Suspected Non–ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome
Background Many patients with suspected non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) do not have significant coronary artery disease. The current diagnostic approach of repeated electrocardiography and cardiac biomarker assessment requires…
