Saturday, June 30, 2007

ASE: 3D Echo Tops 2D and M-Mode for Kids' Hearts

SEATTLE, June 21 -- When assessing the left ventricle in children, real-time three-dimensional echocardiography offers the best combination of accuracy and efficiency, according to a small trial reported here.

Measurement of left-ventricular size, function, and mass is the most common and essential application of echocardiograph in pediatric clinical practice and research, said Xiluzhang Lu, M.D., of Baylor in Houston, and colleagues, at the American Society of Echocardiography meeting.

However, little data have existed on the relative accuracy, reproducibility, and efficiency of M-mode, 2D, and 3D echo techniques for acquiring left ventricular measurements, Dr. Lu added.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Ultrasound a Safer Alternative to Invasive Breast Biopsy

A new study has determined that the use of ultrasound for the monitoring of certain breast lesions with a low likelihood of developing cancer may be a safer and more reassuring option than a biopsy.

Chairman of Radiology at Steyr's Ambulatory Care Center in Austria, Dr. Oswald Graf, who was also study author, opined that this method of observing some masses can help women avoid unessential and insidious biopsies.

In a breast ultrasound, images of breast tissues are made with the help of sound waves. This is not as invasive as a biopsy because tissue samples are not collected for analyses as they are with biopsies.

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Sunday, June 17, 2007

Appropriateness Criteria For Performance Of Cardiac Ultrasound Exams Released

In an effort to ensure quality cardiac ultrasound imaging for all patients and to avoid unnecessary use of the technology, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in partnership with the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance today released Appropriateness Criteria for two of the most commonly used cardiac ultrasound techniques - transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography - just in time for the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of ASE in Seattle, Washington.

The TTE/TEE Appropriateness Criteria review common scenarios found in clinical practice and address the appropriateness of ordering echocardiograms for each situation. The Criteria address a broad range of clinical situations in which TTE/TEE might be used, such as for patients presenting with signs and symptoms that could represent heart disease, like murmurs and palpitations, and conditions such as hypertension, stroke, heart valve disease, and suspected or known congenital heart disease.

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