Study note
MedicineCardiology

Transthoracic echocardiography: technique and indications

THE CONTEXT
Transthoracic echocardiography provides rapid assessment of cardiac structure and function.

Imaging technique

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An ultrasound transducer placed on the chest wall produces a real-time two-dimensional slice of cardiac structures.

Common indications

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Echocardiography assesses left ventricular function and diagnoses valve disease while quantifying its severity.
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It identifies structural heart disease in patients with atrial fibrillation, hypertension, cardiomyopathies or congenital heart disease.
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It detects pericardial effusion and identifies vegetations in endocarditis.
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