Case Based Echocardiography

The authors are all internationally renowned experts in echocardiography and have considerable experience in training echocardiography staff in all aspects of best practice.

Physics & Artifacts. Physical basis ultrasound, cardiac imaging. Artifacts mistaken for cardiac pathology.- LV mass, volumes. Qualitative & quantitative determination of LV wall thickness, mass. Qualitative & quantitative determination of LV volumes.- LV function. Ejection fraction assessment.- M-mode. Common pathologies for M mode use.- Wall motion & stress. Assess regional wall motion. Normal, hypokinetic & akinetic wall motion. Wall motion analysis. Stress echocardiography protocols exercise; dobutamine; dipyridamole. Problem solving.- RV function assessment. Visual assessment of RV size, function. Tissue Doppler in RV assessment.- Valvular heart disease. Assessing valves. Mitral stenosis, regurgitation. Aortic stenosis, regurgitation. Pulmonary stenosis, regurgitation. Tricuspid stenosis, regurgitation. Multivalvular involvement: rheumatic disease; carcinoid; diet drugs. Prosthetic valve assessment. Infective endocarditis.- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Protocol for TEE. Standard TEE views. TEE Limitations. Emergency applications of TEE:dissection etc. Methemoglobinemia & treatment.- Echo contrast. Contrast agents. Indications in clinical practice. Protocol for contrast use. Problems & resolution.- Cardiomyopathies. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Infiltrative cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy.- Tissue Doppler & clinical uses. Fundamentals, Tissue Doppler. Applications. How to do Tissue Doppler. Assessment of dyssynchrony. Strain imaging.- Diastolic function assessment.- Mitral inflow. Pulmonary vein flow. Tissue Doppler. Flow propogation velocity. Grades of diastolic dysfunction.- The pericardium. Pericardial effusion. Pericarditis. Tamponade physiology. Constriction V restriction physiology. Echo-guided pericardiocentesis.- Cardiac masses.- 3-D echocardiography. Principles. 3D images. Clinical situations, 3DE.- Adult congenital problems. VSD. ASD. Others.- Vascular imaging. Carotid intima media thickness. Brachial reactivity. Augmentation index.