3D echocardiography

Three-dimensional echocardiography has been realized in two different technical approaches: first as reconstruction of previously acquired multiple two-dimensional cross-sections, and recently as realtime 3D echo. Both approaches allow one to measure quantitative parameters of cardiac structures, such as mass and volume, with an accuracy far superior to 2D echo and equal to nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. However, such measurements are labor and time intensive. Other spatially complex cardiac structures such as valves, atrial and ventricular septal defects, or dynamic outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy can be assessed adequately in both qualitative and quantitative fashion. Furthermore, the advent of realtime 3D echo with its ability to gather the full 3D data set within seconds promises to widen the potential applications of 3D echo, for example, including stress echo.