Abstract
Two-dimension strain (2D-strain) and strain rate imaging by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a promising new diagnostic tool for the evaluation of global and regional cardiac function. The assessment of myocardial velocities and deformation by STE has been used for objective quantitative assessment of myocardial function and sophisticated analysis of cardiac mechanics in a wide range of clinical and scientific applications.
This new techniques are of increasing clinical importance, but their strengths and weaknesses must be taken into account for the interpretation of the acquired data.
This document describes the principles of the assessment of myocardial velocities and deformation by tissue Doppler imaging and 2D-Strain-analysis by STE. Moreover, the growing body of evidence as well as relevant information for the clinical application of these emerging techniques are highlighted and discussed in this report.
