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Imaging & diagnostics

Echocardiography

DEEchokardiographie

Echocardiography is cardiac ultrasound performed transthoracically (TTE) or transesophageally (TEE) and is the most widely used cardiac imaging modality. It quantifies left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), chamber volumes and mass, evaluates valvular disease, and assesses diastolic function using mitral inflow (E/A ratio) and tissue Doppler (E/e' ratio). Speckle-tracking strain imaging derives global longitudinal strain (GLS), which detects subclinical systolic dysfunction earlier than LVEF and carries independent prognostic value in heart failure, cardio-oncology and valvular disease. It uses no ionising radiation and is portable, but image quality is operator-dependent and limited acoustic windows reduce reliability in roughly 10–20 percent of adults. Standardised acquisition and reporting follow joint ASE/EACVI chamber-quantification recommendations.

Sources

  1. Lang RM, Badano LP, Mor-Avi V, et al.. (2015). Recommendations for Cardiac Chamber Quantification by Echocardiography in Adults: An Update from the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging. *Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography*doi:10.1016/j.echo.2014.10.003
  2. Sengeløv M, Jørgensen PG, Jensen JS, et al.. (2015). Global Longitudinal Strain Is a Superior Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction. *JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging*doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2015.07.013
  3. Mihos CG, Liu JE, Anderson KM, Pernetz MA, O'Driscoll JM, et al.. (2025). Speckle-Tracking Strain Echocardiography for the Assessment of Left Ventricular Structure and Function: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. *Circulation*doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001354