Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography in Diagnosing Congenital Heart Diseases

Pediatric Cardiology volume 34, pages 1525–1531 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE), a novel approach employed in detecting congenital heart disease (CHD), has gained popularity since it was made commercially available in 2002. This modality is now accepted as an important diagnostic tool for diagnosing CHD. Advancement in transducer technologies and digital data processing allows the use of 3DE in daily clinical practice. In this review, modes of 3DE data acquisition and storage methods in the echocardiogram’s machine’s hard disk (data processing) are examined. Analysis of the acquired data (cropping or slicing the data set) and methods of illustrating the cropped data set for cardiologists and pediatric cardiovascular surgeons are also discussed. Published literature was searched in PubMed using the keywords “three-dimensional echocardiography”, “congenital heart disease”, “cropping”, and “echoangiogram”. This search produced 100 articles, which were further short-listed to 30 articles. Based on this algorithm, the final selected 30 articles were extensively examined in the current review. The clinical applications of real-time transthoracic 3DE, as well as novel transesophageal 3DE and color flow 3DE data set analyses (echoangiogram) in the routine practice of CHD assessment, are also reviewed. Finally, the limitations 3DE, together with the potential future developments required to improve various techniques of 3DE to make it more readily applicable, are examined.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

References

  1. Barrea C, Levasseur S, Roman K, Nii M, Coles JG, Williams WG et al (2005) Three-dimensional echocardiography improves the understanding of left atrioventricular valve morphology and function in atrioventricular septal defects undergoing patch augmentation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 129(4):746–753

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bhan A, Kapetanakis S, Monaghan MJ (2010) Heart 96:153–163

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bharucha T, Roman KS, Anderson RH, Vettukattil JJ (2008) Impact of multiplanar review of three-dimensional echocardiographic data on management of congenital heart disease. Ann Thorac Surg 86(3):875–881

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bu L, Munns S, Zhang H, Disterhoft M, Dixon M, Stolpen A et al (2005) Rapid full volume data acquisition by real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography for assessment of left ventricular indexes in children: a validation study compared with magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 18(4):299–305

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Correale M, Ieva R, Balzano M, Di BM (2007) Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography: a pilot feasibility study in an Italian cardiologic center. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 8(4):265–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fang L, Hsiung MC, Miller AP, Nanda NC, Yin WH, Young MS et al (2005) Assessment of aortic regurgitation by live three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of vena contracta area: usefulness and validation. Echocardiography 22(9):775–781

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Franke M, Kohl HP (2003) Second generation real-time 3D echocardiography: a revolutionary new technology. Medicamundi 47(2):34–40

    Google Scholar 

  8. Goland S, Trento A, Iida K, Czer LS, De RM, Naqvi TZ et al (2007) Assessment of aortic stenosis by three-dimensional echocardiography: An accurate and novel approach. Heart 93(7):801–807

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hlavacek AM, Crawford FA Jr, Chessa KS, Shirali GS (2006) Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography is useful in the evaluation of patients with atrioventricular septal defects. Echocardiography 23(3):225–231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hlavacek A, Lucas J, Baker H, Chessa K, Shirali G (2006) Feasibility and utility of three-dimensional color flow echocardiography of the aortic arch: the “echocardiographic angiogram”. Echocardiography 23(10):860–864

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hung J, Lang R, Flachskampf F, Shernan SK, McCulloch ML, Adams DB et al (2007) 3D echocardiography: a review of the current status and future directions. ASEJ Am Soc Echocardiogr 20(3):213–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Johri AM, Passeri JJ, Picard MH (2010) Three dimensional echocardiography: approaches and clinical utility. Heart 96:390–397

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Khanna D, Vengala S, Miller AP, Nanda NC, Lloyd SG, Ahmed S et al (2004) Quantification of mitral regurgitation by live three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of vena contracta area. Echocardiography 21(8):737–743

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kisslo J, Firek B, Ota T, Kang DH, Fleishman CE, Stetten G et al (2000) Real-time volumetric echocardiography: the technology and the possibilities. Echocardiography 17(8):773–779

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kutty S, Smallhorn JF (2012) Evaluation of atrioventricular septal defects by three-dimensional echocardiography: Benefits of navigating the third dimension. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 25(9):932–944

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Lang RM, Badano LP, Tsang W, Adams DH, Agricola E, Buck T et al (2012) EAE/ASE recommendations for image acquisition and display using three-dimensional echocardiography. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 13(1):1–46

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Miller AP, Nanda NC, Aaluri S, Mukhtar O, Nekkanti R, Thimmarayappa MV et al (2003) Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic demonstration of anatomical defects in AV septal defect patients presenting for reoperation. Echocardiography 20(1):105–109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Pandian NG, Roelandt J, Nanda NC, Sugeng L, Cao QL, Azevedo J et al (1994) Dynamic three-dimensional echocardiography: Methods and clinical potential. Echocardiography 11(3):237–259

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Pepi M, Tamborini G, Maltagliati A, Galli CA, Sisillo E, Salvi L et al (2006) Head-to-head comparison of two- and three-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the localization of mitral valve prolapse. J Am Coll Cardiol 48(12):2524–2530

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Schnabel R, Khaw AV, von Bardeleben RS, Strasser C, Kramm T, Meyer J et al (2005) Assessment of the tricuspid valve morphology by transthoracic real-time-3D-echocardiography. Echocardiography 22(1):15–23

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Seliem MA, Fedec A, Szwast A, Farrell PE Jr, Ewing S, Gruber PJ et al (2007) Atrioventricular valve morphology and dynamics in congenital heart disease as imaged with real-time 3-dimensional matrix-array echocardiography: comparison with 2-dimensional imaging and surgical findings. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 20(7):869–876

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sheikh K, Smith SW, von RO, Kisslo J (1991) Real-time, three-dimensional echocardiography: feasibility and initial use. Echocardiography 8(1):119–125

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Shirali G (2008) 3D echocardiography. Ann Pediatr Cardiol 1(1):8–17

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Singh A, Romp RL, Nanda NC, Rajdev S, Mehmood F, Baysan O et al (2006) Usefulness of live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in the assessment of atrioventricular septal defects. Echocardiography 23(7):598–608

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Sugeng L, Weinert L, Thiele K, Lang RM (2003) Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography using a novel matrix array transducer. Echocardiography 20(7):623–635

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Takahashi K, Guerra V, Roman KS, Nii M, Redington A, Smallhorn JF (2006) Three-dimensional echocardiography improves the understanding of the mechanisms and site of left atrioventricular valve regurgitation in atrioventricular septal defect. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 19(12):1502–1510

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. van den Bosch AE, van Dijk VF, McGhie JS, Bogers AJ, Roos-Hesselink JW, Simoons ML et al (2006) Real-time transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography provides additional information of left-sided AV valve morphology after AVSD repair. Int J Cardiol 106(3):360–364

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Velayudhan DE, Brown TM, Nanda NC, Patel V, Miller AP, Mehmood F et al (2006) Quantification of tricuspid regurgitation by live three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of vena contracta area. Echocardiography 23(9):793–800

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vettukattil JJ, Bharucha T, Anderson RH (2007) Defining Ebstein’s malformation using three dimensional echocardiography. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 6(6):685–690

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Zamorano J, Cordeiro P, Sugeng L, de Perez I, Weinert L, Macaya C et al (2004) Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography for rheumatic mitral valve stenosis evaluation: an accurate and novel approach. J Am Coll Cardiol 43(11):2091–2096

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunawwarah, Saudi Arabia

    Saad. Khoshhal

Authors
  1. Saad. Khoshhal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Saad. Khoshhal.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Movie Clip 1

RT 3DE in NA mode showing the MV, the LV in long-axis view, and the aortic valve, similar to 2D PSLAx (AVI 3255 kb)

Movie Clip 2

Zoom mode (magnified) shows the aortic valve from a view above the valve (i.e., within the ascending aorta) (AVI 757 kb)

Movie Clip 3

Acquired FV 3DE data set. The details of cardiac anatomy are embedded within this data set and thus incomprehensible until cropping is performed (AVI 2598 kb)

Movie Clip 4

Content within the FV 3DE data set shown in Movie Clip 3. The four cardiac chambers are visualized in this image, similar to an apical four-chamber view (AVI 1455 kb)

Movie Clip 5

3DE of a cleft mitral valve as seen from the LA, which is identical to what is seen by the surgeon during surgery (i.e., surgical view) (AVI 646 kb)

Movie Clip 6

RTTE-3DE. The ASD is seen from the LA (AVI 645 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khoshhal, S. Feasibility and Effectiveness of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography in Diagnosing Congenital Heart Diseases. Pediatr Cardiol 34, 1525–1531 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-013-0718-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-013-0718-0

Keywords

search

Navigation