Three-Dimensional Echocardiography

72 544x376 Normal 0 false false false EL X-NONE X-NONE The strength of echocardiography has always been in its capacity for convenient real-time imaging, its rapid acquisition and analysis capabilities. Echocardiography has been one of the most rapidly expanding fields in modern cardiology and has seen unprecedented advances over the last 20 years. One of the most significant advances in this area is that of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE). 3DE is not a new idea or indeed a new technique; it has been a research tool in various guises for many years. New transducer technology coupled with advances in computing have transformed this modality from a labour-intensive imaging protocol to a real-time imaging that can be rapidly analysed online. Continued improvements in image acquisition and quantification help integrate this into clinical practice and have brought it to the cusp of widespread clinical acceptance.