Echocardiography: Technology and Protocols

Abstract

Imaging techniques for the study of heart disease have experienced a great development in recent decades and are essential in current clinical practice. The main value of imaging techniques in Electrophysiology is to determine the underlying heart disease, which helps to define the patient management and prognosis. Noninvasive imaging of cardiac ­electrophysiology is still a major goal despite all recent technical innovations. However, electrophysiological procedures require an intimate knowledge of heart anatomy and ­classical imaging techniques may be unable to visualize structures involved in arrhythmia mechanisms. Novel methods, such as intracardiac echocardiography and three-dimensional echocardiography, have enabled a more accurate imaging during electrophysiology ­procedures. This may reduce ionizing radiation exposure and shorten procedure time. This chapter describes the echocardiographic technology and protocols currently used for the study of most common heart diseases involving arrhythmias.