Hypertrophic and Other Cardiomyopathies Overview This chapter deals with hypertrophic and miscellaneous cardiomyopathies, which generally are characterized by increased left ventricular wall thickness and/or infiltration of the myocardium. Unlike dilated…
Stress Echocardiography Stress echocardiography is based on the fundamental causal relationship between induced myocardial ischemia and left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities. The potential for using echocardiography for this purpose…
Aortic Valve Disease The aortic valve is a complex, intricate structure with remarkable durability. It is composed of three cusps of equal size, each of which is surrounded by a…
Tricuspid and Pulmonary Valves Clinical Overview Disease of the tricuspid valve can be divided into primary and secondary anatomic abnormalities. Primary pathology of the tricuspid and pulmonary valve is relatively…
Hemodynamics Since its inception, one of the primary goals of echocardiography has been to provide hemodynamic information. This was initially accomplished using M-mode and later two-dimensional imaging, which allowed measurement…
Left and Right Atrium, and Right Ventricle Left Atrium In the early history of echocardiography, the left atrium was one of the first cardiac structures to be identified, recorded, and…
Infective Endocarditis Despite advances in antibiotic therapy and surgical options, infective endocarditis remains a challenging and often fatal condition. One reason for this is the difficulty of establishing an accurate…
Pericardial Diseases Clinical Overview Anatomically, the pericardium consists of two layers. The visceral pericardium is contiguous with the epicardium and the parietal pericardium is the thicker fibrous sac surrounding the…
Evaluation of Systolic Function of the Left Ventricle General Principles Virtually all forms of acquired heart diseases may be associated with abnormalities of systolic function at some point in their…
The Echocardiographic Examination The ability to record high-quality echocardiographic images and obtain accurate Doppler flow recordings are essential determinants of the overall value of the echocardiographic examination. As such, echocardiography…
