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Rest and Stress Echocardiography

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Clinical Applications of Cardiac CT

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Abstract

In 1935, for the first time Tennant and Wiggers showed how a coronary occlusion results in instantaneous abnormality of wall motion of the left ventricle [1]. Forty years later an experimental study with two-dimensional ultrasound on a canine model highlighted that during acute ischemia and infarction reductions in regional flow are closely mirrored by reductions in contractile function, opening the road for the clinical use of ultrasound as gatekeeper for ischemic heart disease [2]. Stress echocardiography combines 2D echocardiography with a physical, pharmacologic or electrical stress for assessing the presence, localization and extent of myocardial ischemia. Stress-induced wall motion abnormality is the early and specific marker of ischemia. Identification of viable myocardium and evaluation of severity of valvular heart disease are additional recognized applications of stress echocardiography. The wide availability of echocardiographic equipment in all medical centers has been a factor of paramount importance for the diffusion of the technique, especially in the light of its limited costs and resource consumption.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Division, “dell’Angelo” Hospital, Mestre-Venice, Italy

    Fausto Rigo

  2. “Campo di Marte” Hospital, Lucca, Italy

    Lauro Cortigiani & Elisabetta Grolla

  3. Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy

    Eugenio Picano

Authors
  1. Fausto Rigo
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  2. Lauro Cortigiani
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  3. Elisabetta Grolla
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  4. Eugenio Picano
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Imaging Unit, “Giovanni XXIII” Hospital, Monastier di Treviso (TV), Italy

    Filippo Cademartiri

  2. Cardiology Unit, Versilia Hospital, Lido di Camaiore (LU), Italy

    Giancarlo Casolo

  3. DIBIMEF, Department of Radiology, “P. Giaccone” University Hospital, Palermo, Italy

    Massimo Midiri

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Rigo, F., Cortigiani, L., Grolla, E., Picano, E. (2012). Rest and Stress Echocardiography. In: Cademartiri, F., Casolo, G., Midiri, M. (eds) Clinical Applications of Cardiac CT. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2522-6_33

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