ABSTRACT
The ability to generate a 3D visualization of the heart using the echo machine and/or post-processing software is known as 3D echo. This chapter describes the two methods of data acquisition in 3D echo – real-time (live) 3D imaging (including live 3D, 3D zoom, live 3D colour and multiplane imaging) and multi-beat imaging – and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. Post-processing is described, together with the formats for image display (volume rendering, surface rendering and 2D tomographic slices). Three-dimensional echo artifacts (stitching artifact and dropout artifact) are also described. Finally, the principal clinical applications of 3D echo are discussed.
