Echocardiographic Detection of Increased Ventricular Diastolic Stiffness in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study.

Background: Pediatric heart transplant recipients are at risk for increased left ventricular (LV) diastolic stiffness. However, the noninvasive evaluation of LV stiffness has remained elusive in this population. The objective of this study was to compare novel echocardiographic measures of LV diastolic stiffness versus gold-standard measures derived from pressure-volume loop (PVL) analysis in pediatric heart transplant recipients.

Longitudinal measures of deformation are associated with a composite measure of contractility derived from pressure-volume loop analysis in children.

Aims: The relationship between echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) systolic function and reference-standard measures have not been assessed in children. The objective of this study was to assess the validity of echocardiographic indices of LV systolic function via direct comparison to a novel composite measure of contractility derived from pressure-volume loop (PVL) analysis.

Methods And Results: Children with normal loading conditions undergoing routine left heart catheterization were prospectively enrolled.

Speckle-Tracking Echocardiographic Measures of Right Ventricular Diastolic Function Correlate with Reference Standard Measures Before and After Preload Alteration in Children.

The accuracy of echocardiographic measures of right ventricular (RV) diastolic function has been sparsely studied. Our objective was to evaluate the correlation between echocardiographic and reference standard measures of RV diastolic function derived from micromanometer pressure analysis before and after preload alteration in children. Echocardiograms and micromanometer pressure analyses were prospectively performed before and after fluid bolus in children undergoing right heart catheterization.

Validation of Noninvasive Measures of Left Ventricular Mechanics in Children: A Simultaneous Echocardiographic and Conductance Catheterization Study.

Background: The accuracy of echocardiography in evaluating left ventricular contractility has not been validated in children. The objective of this study was to compare echocardiographic measures of contractility with those derived from pressure-volume loop (PVL) analysis in children.

Methods: Patients with relatively normal loading conditions undergoing routine left heart catheterization were prospectively enrolled.

Clinico-morphological correlations in the categorization of holes between the ventricles.

Controversy still exists in the categorization of holes between the ventricles, although they are the most common congenital cardiac malformation. Advanced imaging techniques such as three-dimensional echocardiography and computed tomographic angiography offer superb anatomical details of these defects. In this review, we have sought to collate the features highlighted in different categorizations and identify their similarities, but also emphasize their differences.

Variability and resource utilization of bedside three-dimensional echocardiographic quantitative measurements of left ventricular volume in congenital heart disease.

Objectives: This study evaluated the variability and time resource utilization of bedside 3-dimensional echocardiographic left ventricular volume analysis (3D-LVVA) in congenital heart disease (CHD). Background. There are currently limited data on the resource utilization and variability of 3D-LVVA in the CHD.

Left ventricular dysfunction is associated with intraventricular dyssynchrony by 3-dimensional echocardiography in children.

Introduction: We used 3-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to identify and quantify left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony in children with LV dysfunction compared with control subjects.

Methods: The 3D echocardiography LV full volumes were acquired in 18 children, 9 with LV dysfunction and 9 control subjects. The LV was subdivided into 16 segments (apex excluded).

Feasibility and utility of three-dimensional color flow echocardiography of the aortic arch: The "echocardiographic angiogram".

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DE) is the most commonly used diagnostic modality to evaluate congenital and acquired abnormalities of the aortic arch. However, 2DE is frequently limited in this ability due to the three-dimensional character of the arch and its interrelationships with other vascular structures. Recently, three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) with 3D color flow Doppler became commercially available.

Transthoracic real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis and description of noncompaction of ventricular myocardium.

Background: Numerous modalities have been used to diagnose and characterize noncompaction of ventricular myocardium (NCVM) including magnetic resonance imaging, two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), contrast-enhanced 2DE, and angiography. The current case series examines the use of real-time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (RT-3DE) in four such cases of NCVM.

Methods: From December 2003 to March 2004, we performed RT-3DE using a Philips Sonos 7500 echocardiographic scanner equipped with a 2-4 MHz 3D matrix array transthoracic probe, to evaluate four patients with NCVM.

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography is useful in the evaluation of patients with atrioventricular septal defects.

Objective: We sought to determine whether three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is useful in the evaluation of patients with atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).

Background: Recent advances in 3DE have enhanced its practicality. We assessed whether 3DE provided new information compared to 2DE among patients with AVSD.