Advances in ultrasound technology continue to enhance its diagnostic applications in daily medical practice. Constantly evolving, this tool has become invaluable for properly trained cardiologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, surgeons, obstetricians, and emergency department physicians. Ultrasound can enable rapid, accurate, and noninvasive…
Introduction Electromechanical association in a normal heart results in synchronous regional left ventricular (LV) contraction. Differences in the timing of regional contraction may be associated with the failing human heart. Interest in echocardiographic assessment of synchrony began with applications for…
Age Gender Occupation Working Diagnosis 62 Years Female Retail Sales Agent Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy History A 62-year-old woman was seen at the cardiology outpatient clinic. Her medical history was significant for the onset of mild heart failure symptoms 2 years previously.…
Acknowledgement The authors thank Dr. Sonia Jain for her contribution to this chapter in the previous edition. Pericardial Cysts Pericardial cysts are benign intrathoracic lesions accounting for 6% of all mediastinal masses. They are typically unilocular, contain serous fluid, and…
Acknowledgments Dr. Gorcsan was supported, in part, by research grants from Medtronic, EBR Systems, GE Medical Systems, and V-Wave Ltd. Myocardial strain measurement using speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) has made major contributions to the care of patients with cardiac diseases. This…