- Real-time, 4D imaging enables a more detailed analysis of valve morphology
- Combined with color Doppler, 4D imaging can eliminate the need to conduct Transesophageal echocardiography exams
- 4D imaging has been proven to help surgeons in their surgery preparation
“4D in real-time is very user-friendly. It gives the reader a much better concept of the heart as being the volumetric (3-dimensional) organ that it really is. We are seeing beautiful endocardial definition, and nice color Doppler in 4D mode. Our sonographers say that the 3V transducer is lightweight, easy to use, and leaves a relatively modest footprint on the chest.”
Hisham Dokainish, M.D., FACC Houston, Texas
CASE 1
4D echocardiography with color Doppler identifies severe mitral valve disease.
A thirty year old woman with shortness of breath was told years earlier that she had a heart murmur, but no further investigation had been performed. She reported feeling fine until 6 months earlier when she started experiencing increased fatigue and dyspnea. She also complained of orthopnea, but denied any chest pain, palpitations, syncope or fever. Past medical history was unremarkable and she denied any drug use.
Her electrocardiogram revealed a sinus rhythm at 75bpm, with left ventricular hypertrophy and left atrial enlargement. Her chest x-ray showed cardiomegaly and mild pulmonary edema. Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed an enlarged left ventricle with preserved ejection fraction. A thickened mitral valve with reduced excursion, left atrial enlargement, and the presence of mitral regurgitation was also revealed, the severity of which was difficult to accurately assess (Figure 1).
Conclusion
The use of real-time, 4D imaging with color Doppler allowed a detailed analysis of the morphology of the mitral valve and it’s abnormal function, including the cause and severity of the mitral regurgitation. 4D imaging with color Doppler provided the necessary diagnostic information on the patient’s cardiac morphology and function, thus avoiding the need for additional transesophageal imaging.
In addition, the 4D images were very helpful to the cardiovascular surgeons in planning her mitral valve surgery.