Stress Echocardiography

The author is Director of the Pisa Institute of Clinical Physiology of the Italian National Research Council. He is/was present or past editorial board member or guest editor of Circulation, Journal American College of Cardiology, European Journal Echocardiography, Journal of American Society of Echocardiography. He is founder and editor-in-chief of the Biomed Central, ISI-tracked, journal Cardiovascular Ultrasound.

Basic Principles, Methodology and Pathophysiology.- Stress Echocardiography: A Historical and Societal Perspective.- Anatomical and Functional Targets of Stress Testing.- Symptoms and Signs of Myocardial Ischemia.- Rational Basis of Stress Echocardiography.- Pathogenetic Mechanisms of Stress.- Echocardiographic Signs of Ischemia.- Segmentation of the Left Ventricle.- Dynamic and Pharmacologic Right Heart Stress Echocardiography: Right Ventricular Function, Right Coronary Artery Flow, Pulmonary Pressure, and Alveolar-Capillary Membrane Testing in the Echocardiography Laboratory.- Coronary Flow Reserve.- Technology and Training Requirements.- Stresses: How, When and Why.- Exercise Echocardiography.- Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography.- Dipyridamole Stress Echocardiography.- Adenosine Stress Echocardiography.- Pacing Stress Echocardiography.- Ergonovine Stress Echocardiography for the Diagnosis of Vasospastic Angina.- Hyperventilation Test.- Grading of Ischemic Response.- Diagnostic Results and Indications.- Myocardial Viability.- Diagnostic Flowcharts.- Prognosis.- New Technologies and New Diagnostic Targets.- New Ultrasound Technologies for Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Function.- Contrast Stress Echocardiography.- Diastolic Stress Echocardiography.- Endothelial Function in the Stress Echocardiography Laboratory.- In Front of The Patient: Clinical Applications in Different Patient Subsets.- Special Subsets of Angiographically Defined Patients: Normal Coronary Arteries, Single-Vessel Disease,Left Main Coronary Artery Disease, Patients Undergoing Coronary Revascularization.- Special Subsets of Electrocardiographically Defined Patients: Left Bundle Branch Block, Right Bundle Branch Block, Atrial Fibrillation.- Special Subsets of Clinically Defined Patients:Elderly, Women, Outpatients, Chest Pain Unit, Noncardiac Vascular Surgery.- Microvascular Disease.- Hypertension.- Diabetes.- Stress Echocardiography in Dilated Cardiomyopathy.- Stress Echocardiography in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.- Stress Echocardiography After Cardiac Transplantation.- The Emerging Role of Exercise Testing and Stress Echocardiography in Valvular Heart Disease.- Stress Echocardiography in Children.- Comparison with Other Imaging Techniques.- Stress Echocardiography Versus Stress Perfusion Scintigraphy.- Stress Echocardiography Versus Cardiac CT.- Stress Echocardiography Versus Stress CMR.- Appropriateness in the Stress Echocardiography Laboratory.

From reviews of the previous editions:

"Dr. Picano, one of the pioneers of stress echo, describes the pathophysiological basis of the technique extremely well. In addition, both the advantages and the limitations of the method are covered in a clear and comprehensive way. The book will be useful to cardiologists and even 'non-experts' such as echo technicians and students" (CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH)

"A narrative and enjoyable styleà An extremely valuable and important book for those who practice stress echo and are interested in clinical and scientific aspects of the method." (DER INTERNIST)

From the reviews of the fourth edition:

"The book is written for physicians and sonographers practising stress echocardiography and for beginners ... . The book provides an up-to-date, extensive and comprehensive coverage of various means of performing stress echocardiography, the implications that each suggest with diagnostic flow charts, the new technological developments with their applications .... . At present it is the only existing book covering all aspects of stress echocardiography. This book is a pleasure to read and reflects the tremendous contribution of dr. Picano in this field." (Bharati Shivalkar, Acta Cardiologica, Vol. 59 (4), 2004)

From reviews of the previous editions:"Dr. Picano, one of the pioneers of stress echo, describes the pathophysiological basis of the technique extremely well. In addition, both the advantages and the limitations of the method are covered in a clear and comprehensive way. The book will be useful to cardiologists and even 'non-experts' such as echo technicians and students" (CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH)"A narrative and enjoyable styleà An extremely valuable and important book for those who practice stress echo and are interested in clinical and scientific aspects of the method." (DER INTERNIST)From the reviews of the fourth edition:"The book is written for physicians and sonographers practising stress echocardiography and for beginners … . The book provides an up-to-date, extensive and comprehensive coverage of various means of performing stress echocardiography, the implications that each suggest with diagnostic flow charts, the new technological developments with their applications …. . At present it is the only existing book covering all aspects of stress echocardiography. This book is a pleasure to read and reflects the tremendous contribution of dr. Picano in this field." (Bharati Shivalkar, Acta Cardiologica, Vol. 59 (4), 2004)