Published in:
01-11-2014 | Echocardiography (T Buck, Section Editor)
Real-Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Flow Quantification in Valvular Heart Disease
Authors:
Thomas Buck, Björn Plicht
Published in:
Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports
|
Issue 11/2014
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Abstract
Besides providing unique anatomic information, real-time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (RT3DE) using color Doppler has the potential to overcome the limitations of flow quantification using conventional two-dimensional color Doppler methods. Recent studies have validated the application of color Doppler RT3DE for the assessment of flow based on the vena contracta area (VCA) and proximal isovelocity surface area as well as on mitral inflow minus aortic outflow. In particular, the assessment of VCA by color Doppler RT3DE led to a change of paradigm as a consequence of understanding the VCA as strongly asymmetric in the majority of patients and etiologies. In this review we provide a comprehensive discussion of the different concepts of RT3DE-based flow quantification in the setting of different valvular heart diseases and their presentation in the recent literature.