CLINICAL POTENTIAL OF 3-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN ENDOCARDITIS

All lesions associated with endocarditis are three dimensional (3-D). Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic techniques, while highly useful in. endocarditis, yield only two-dimensional (2-D) data. The newly evolving method of 3-D echocardiography that provides volume and surface rendered reconstructions could be helpful in endocarditis. The clinical feasibility of 3-D echocardiography and its ability to display valvular and other cardiac structures have been recently demonstrated. Early experience suggests that vegetations, damaged valves, and other abnormalities could be delineated well by this method in viewing projections unavailable by current clinical techniques. Ongoing refinements in data acquisition, image processing, and display are Likely to make 3-D echocardiography a clinically valuable tool, aiding in enhanced diagnostic appraisal of disorders such as endocarditis, and in making therapeutic decisions.