The Development and Application of Echocardiography in Heart Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in developed countries, with ischemic heart disease and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies playing the most relevant role. Many imaging techniques, either non-invasive or invasive, are being developed to allow a prompt detection of myocardial structural and functional abnormalities, as well as to guide therapeutic strategies.

Echocardiography is one of the most powerful diagnostic and monitoring tools available in clinical practice. Its wide availability, non-invasiveness and high diagnostic accuracy make echocardiography a fundamental step in the management of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, the ultimate role of echocardiography in managing heart disease has been highlighted, not only from a diagnostic perspective, but also for prognostic purposes.

The advent of more advanced techniques, such as three-dimensional echocardiography, speckle-tracking-derived longitudinal strain, and, more recently, non-invasive myocardial work assessment, has provided further insight into the detection of the structural and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease and has further extended the application of such technics in many clinical scenarios.

This Special Issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine is now open for submission, welcoming papers that aim to present the current role of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases, with particular attention on novel techniques that could contribute to relevant achievements in the near future.

Prof. Dr. Antonello D'Andrea
Dr. Federica Ilardi
Guest Editors

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