Echocardiography is essential in the practice of pediatric cardiology. A clinical pediatric cardiologist is expected to be adept at the non-invasive diagnosis of congenital heart disease and those who plan to specialize in echocardiography will need to have knowledge of advanced techniques. Echocardiography in Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease addresses the needs of trainees and practitioners in this field, filling a void caused by the lack of material in this fast-growing area. This new title comprehensively covers the echocardiographic assessment of congenital heart disease, from the fetus to the adult, plus acquired heart disease in children. Topics covered include: ultrasound physics laboratory set-up a protocol for a standard pediatric echocardiogram quantitative methods of echocardiographic evaluation, including assessment of diastolic function in depth coverage of congenital cardiovascular malformations acquired pediatric heart disease topics of special interest, such as 3D echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, and fetal echocardiography The approach of this book is a major advancement for educational materials in the field of pediatric cardiology, and greatly enhances the experience for the reader. An accompanying DVD with moving images of the subjects covered in the textbook will further enhance the learning experience.

This is the 3rd Course that has been organized at the presti gious E. Majorana Centre. The choice of the theme is not a casual one. In fact after rehabilitation and prevention which were the topics discussed in the previous courses of 1979 and 1982, this Course deals with subjects more deeply connected with the mechanisms of cardiac function and the pathological aspects that under this point of view characterize many specific diseases. The rapid development in the application of technology to the problems of Cardiological diagnosis has made it possible to study ventricular function in the evaluation of patients with apparent or suspected heart disease. Knowing that we are facing one of the most complex subjects in modern cardiology we wish to arouse the interest of researchers anrl cardiologists by comparing different experiences with the aim of giving an overall survey of the problems. The program has been divided into 4 chapters: 1. Systolic and diastolic ventricular function. 2. Specific studies of ventricular function using invasive and non invasive techniques. 3. Diseases with altered ventricular function. 4. Pharmacological manipulation of ventricular function. Our aim is not only to stimulate useful discussions in the faculty but also among the participants. I hope that we can achieve this. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the co directors of the Course Prof. Jan Kellermann and Prof. Robert v vi PREFACE Leachman who have played an important part in the scientific organization.

The spectrum of cardiovascular diseases is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Early assessment and treatment of these conditions, acquired as well as congenital, is therefore of paramount importance. The human heart has a great ability to adapt to various hemodynamic conditions by cardiac remodeling. Pathologic cardiac remodeling can occur as a result of cardiovascular disease in an effort to maintain satisfactory cardiac function. With time, cardiac function diminishes leading to disease progression and subsequent heart failure, the end-point of many heart diseases, associated with very poor prognosis. Within the normal cardiac ventricles blood flows in highly organized patterns, and changes in cardiac configuration or function will affect these flow patterns. Conversely, altered flows and pressures can bring about cardiac remodeling. In congenital heart disease, even after corrective surgery, cardiac anatomy and thereby intracardiac blood flow patterns are inherently altered. The clinically most available imaging technique, ultrasound with Doppler, allows only for one-directional flow assessment and is limited by the need of clear examination windows, thus failing to fully assess the complex three-dimensional blood flow within the beating heart. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) with phase-contrast has the ability to acquire three-dimensional (3D), three-directional time resolved velocity data (3D + time = 4D flow data) from which visualization and quantification of blood flow patterns over the complete cardiac cycle can be performed. Four functional blood flow components have previously been defined based on the blood route and distribution through the ventricle, where the inflowing blood that passes directly to the outflow is called Direct flow. From these components, various quantitative measures can be derived, such as component volumes and kinetic energy (KE) throughout the cardiac cycle. In addition, the 4D flow technique has the ability to quantify and visualize turbulent flow with increased velocity fluctuations in the heart and vessels, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The technique has been developed and evaluated for assessment of left ventricular (LV) blood flow in healthy subjects and in patients with dilated dysfunctional left ventricles, showing significant changes in blood flow patterns and energetics with disease. There is however still no study addressing the gap in the spectrum from the healthy cohorts to patients with moderate to severe left ventricular remodeling. In Paper III, 4D flow CMR was utilized to assess LV blood flow in patients with subtle LV dysfunction, and a shift in blood flow component volumes and KE was seen from the Direct flow to the non-ejecting blood flow components. In patients with both left- and right-sided acquired and congenital heart disease, right ventricular (RV) function is of great prognostic significance, however this ventricle has historically been somewhat overseen. With its complex geometry, advanced physiology and retrosternal location, assessment of the RV is still challenging and the right ventricular blood flow is still incompletely described. In Paper I, the RV blood flow in healthy subjects was assessed, and the proportionally larger Direct flow component was located in the most basal region of the ventricle and possessed higher levels of KE at end-diastole than the other flow components suggesting that this portion of blood was prepared for efficient systolic ejection. In Paper II, the blood flow was assessed in the RV of patients with subtle primary LV disease, and even if conventional echocardiographic or CMR RV parameters did not show any RV dysfunction, alterations of flow patterns suggestive of RV impairment were found in the patients with the more remodeled LVs. With improvements of the cardiovascular health care, including the surgical techniques, the number of adult patients with surgically corrected complex congenital heart diseases increases, one of which is tetralogy of Fallot (ToF). Surgical repair of ToF involves widening of the pulmonary stenosis, which postoperatively may cause pulmonary insufficiency and regurgitation (PR). Disturbed or turbulent flow patterns are rare in the healthy cardiovascular system. With pathological changes, such as valvular insufficiency, increased amounts of TKE have been demonstrated. Turbulence is known to be harmful to organic tissues and could be significant in the development of ventricular remodeling, such as dilation and other complications seen in Fallot patients. In Paper IV, the RV intraventricular TKE levels were assessed in relation to conventional measures of PR. Results showed that RV TKE was increased in ToF patients with PR compared to healthy controls, and that these 4D flow-specific measures related slightly stronger to indices of RV remodeling than the conventional measures of PR. 4D flow CMR analysis of the intracardiac blood flow has the potential of adding to pathophysiological understanding, and thereby provide useful diagnostic information and contribute to optimization of treatment of heart disease at earlier stages before irreversible and clinically noticeable changes occur. The flow specific measures used in this thesis could be utilized to detect these alterations of intracardiac blood flow and could thus act as potential markers of progressing ventricular dysfunction, pathological remodeling or used for risk stratification in adults with early repair tetralogy of Fallot. Visualizations of intracardiac flow patterns could provide useful information to cardiac/thoracic surgeons pre- and post-operatively.

Transesophageal Echocardiography for Congenital Heart Disease represents a unique contribution as the only contemporary reference to focus exclusively on the clinical applications of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in congenital heart disease (CHD). Written by numerous prominent specialists and renowned leaders in the field, it presents a comprehensive, modern, and integrated review of the subject in light of the cumulative experience and most recent advances in the technology. Topics related to CHD include: (1) physics and instrumentation of TEE, particularly as they apply to the structural evaluation; (2) specialized aspects of the examination, with emphases on technical considerations pertinent to both pediatric and adult patients with congenital cardiovascular pathology; (3) segmental approach to diagnosis and functional assessment; (4) extensive discussion of the TEE evaluation of the many anomalies encompassing the CHD spectrum; (5) use of the imaging modality in the perioperative and interventional settings; and (6) important aspects of 3D TEE evaluation. Richly illustrated by more than 700 figures/illustrations and 400 videos, this textbook will serve as an indispensable resource for all who use TEE in the care of both children and adults with CHD, from the novice to the expert.

This thoroughly revised textbook provides a practically applicable guide to three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE). Background is provided on the evolution of the technology and physics that support the implementation of both transthoracic and transesophageal approaches to 3DE. The incremental value of 3DE to assess cardiac chambers is also described. Moreover, a range of cardiac valvular diseases including the mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valve have been portrayed and illustrated in depth.These include congenital abnormalities, regurgitation and stenosis. Emphasis is also placed on technical aspects of the technique and where it can provide added value, including post-surgery assessments and evaluation of cardiac masses. Textbook of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography enables readers to develop a deep understanding of how to use this imaging modality. It provides a valuable resource for the echocardiography trainee looking to develop their knowledge and for the experienced practitioner seeking a comprehensive up-to-date reference.

This atlas covers the basics of ultrasound physics, provides the necessary background to successfully perform TEE and TTE procedures, and provides tips and tricks that will prove invaluable in the critical care environment. It also features an abundance of high quality photographs, illustrations and videos as well as numerous case studies to test the reader's ability to apply knowledge to real-life clinical situations. Written by experts in the field, The Atlas of Critical Care Echocardiography is a concise, visual guide designed for use by all physicians who see cardiac patients in the ICU.

This open access book presents a comprehensive overview of dilated cardiomyopathy, providing readers with practical guidelines for its clinical management. The first part of the book analyzes in detail the disease’s pathophysiology, its diagnostic work up as well as the prognostic stratification, and illustrates the role of genetics and gene-environment interaction. The second part presents current and future treatment options, highlighting the importance of long-term and individualized treatments and follow-up. Furthermore, it discusses open issues, such as the apparent healing phenomenon, the early prognosis of arrhythmic events or the use of genetic testing in clinical practice. Offering a multidisciplinary approach for optimizing the clinical management of DCM, this book is an invaluable aid not only for the clinical cardiologists, but for all physicians involved in the care of this challenging disease.

The definitive text and reference on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is now in its thoroughly updated Second Edition. This edition has been significantly reorganized to meet new demands in the field. The first section covers material relevant to the basic certification now being implemented by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists. The second section, new to this edition, covers echocardiography in the critical care setting. The third section covers advanced applications relevant to the current certification. Coverage includes new chapters on organizing education and training in perioperative echocardiography; ultrasound for vascular access; assessment of the patient with endocarditis; using echo during resuscitation; epiaortic and epicardial imaging; endovascular management of thoracic vascular disease; transcutaneous management of valvular heart disease; and perioperative application of Strain and three-dimensional echocardiography. A companion website includes the fully searchable text and an image bank.