Health

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart (it is not abbreviated as ECG, which in medicine usually refers to an electrocardiogram). Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart. The latest ultrasound systems now employ 3D real-time imaging.

In addition to creating two-dimensional pictures of the cardiovascular system, an echocardiogram can also produce accurate assessment of the velocity of blood and cardiac tissue at any arbitrary point using pulsed or continuous wave Doppler ultrasound. This allows assessment of cardiac valve areas and function, any abnormal communications between the left and right side of the heart, any leaking of blood through the valves (valvular regurgitation), and calculation of the cardiac output as well as the ejection fraction. Other parameters measured include cardiac dimensions (luminal diameters and septal thicknesses) and E/A ratio.

Echocardiography was an early medical application of ultrasound. Echocardiography was also the first application of intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasound. This technique injects gas-filled microbubbles into the venous system to improve tissue and blood delineation. Contrast is also currently being evaluated for its effectiveness in evaluating myocardial perfusion. It can also be used with Doppler ultrasound to improve flow-related measurements (see Doppler echocardiography).

Echocardiography is either performed by cardiac sonographers, cardiac physiologists (UK) or doctors trained in cardiology.

Purpose

Echocardiography has become routinely used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with any suspected or known heart diseases. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology. It can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart (internal chamber size quantification), pumping capacity and the location and extent of any tissue damage. It not only allows doctors to evaluate the heart valves, but it can detect abnormalities in the pattern of blood flow, such as the backward flow of blood through partly closed heart valves, known as regurgitation. By assessing the motion of the heart wall, echocardiography can help detect the presence and assess the severity of any wall ischemia that may be associated with coronary artery disease. Echocardiography also helps determine whether any chest pain or associated symptoms are related to heart disease. Echocardiography can also help detect any cardiomyopathy, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as others. The biggest advantage to echocardiography is that it is noninvasive (doesn't involve breaking the skin or entering body cavities) and has no known risks or side effects.

Transthoracic echocardiogram

A standard echocardiogram is also known as a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE), or cardiac ultrasound. In this case, the echocardiography transducer (or probe) is placed on the chest wall (or thorax) of the subject, and images are taken through the chest wall. This is a non-invasive, highly accurate and quick assessment of the overall health of the heart.

Transesophageal echocardiogram

This is an alternative way to perform an echocardiogram. A specialized probe containing an ultrasound transducer at its tip is passed into the patient's esophagus. This allows image and Doppler evaluation which can be recorded. This is known as a transesophageal echocardiogram, or TOE (TEE in the United States). Transesophageal echocardiograms are most often utilized when transthoracic images are suboptimal and when a more clear and precise image is needed for assessment. This test is performed in the presence of a cardiologist, registered nurse, and ultrasound technician.

Stress echocardiography

A stress echocardiogram, also known as a stress echo or SE, utilizes ultrasound imaging of the heart to assess the wall motion in response to physical stress. First, images of the heart are taken "at rest" to acquire a baseline of the patient's wall motion at a resting heart rate. The patient then walks on a treadmill or utilizes another exercise modality to increase the heart rate to 80% of the target heart rate (target heart rate = 220 - your age). Finally, images of the heart are taken "at stress" to assess wall motion at the peak heart rate. A stress echo assesses wall motion of the heart; it does not, however, image the coronary arteries directly. Ischemia of one or more coronary arteries could cause a wall motion abnormality which could indicate coronary artery disease (CAD). The gold standard test to directly image the coronary arteries and directly asses for stenosis or occlusion is a cardiac catheterization. A stress echo is a non-invasive test and is performed in the presence of a licensed medical professional, such as a cardiologist, and an ultrasound technician.

Three-dimensional echocardiography

3D echocardiography is now possible, using an ultrasound probe with an array of transducers and an appropriate processing system. This enables detailed anatomical assessment of cardiac pathology, particularly valvular defects,[1] and cardiomyopathies.[2] The ability to slice the virtual heart in infinite planes in an anatomically appropriate manner and to reconstruct Three-dimensional images of anatomic structures make 3D echocardiography unique for the understanding of the congenitally malformed heart.[3] Real Time 3-Dimensional echocardiography can be used to guide the location of bioptomes during right ventricular endomyocardial biopsies.[4]
The 3D Echo Box developed by the European Association of Echocardiography offers a complete review of Three Dimensional Echocardiography.
[edit] Contrast Echocardiography

There are numerous scenarios in which a contrast agent may prove useful. However, in summary, they include:

* Enhancement of LV endocardial border delineation for assessment of global and regional systolic function, LV volumes and ejection fraction.
* LV opacification for improved visualisation of structural abnormalities
* Enhanced visualisation of wall thickening during stress echocardiography
* Determination of myocardial ischaemia and viability using myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE)
* Quantification of the coronary flow reserve, which has prognostic value in various disease conditions

The Contrast Echo Box developed by the European Association of Echocardiography offers a complete review of Contrast Echocardiography.