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Updated: May 31, 2026
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Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Three-dimensional simultaneous strain-volume analysis describes left ventricular remodelling and its progression: a
Alessio Lilli1, Marco Tullio Baratto, Jacopo Del Meglio
1UO Cardiology, Versilia Hospital, Via Aurelia 335, Lido Di Camaiore, Italy. lilli.alessio@libero.it
Summary
Three-dimensional echocardiography generates strain-volume curves to assess cardiac remodelling. This novel method effectively differentiates healthy hearts from those with conditions like previous myocardial infarction or cardiomyopathy, aiding in diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography with speckle imaging enables simultaneous evaluation of frame-by-frame strain and volume changes.
- Cardiac remodelling significantly impacts myocardial mechanics and ventricular function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and validate a strain-volume combined assessment method using 3D echocardiography.
- To evaluate the utility of this method in characterizing different patterns of cardiac remodelling.
Main Methods:
- Fifty patients underwent 3D echocardiographic acquisition and were categorized into healthy controls, previous myocardial infarction with normal ejection fraction, ischemic cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction, and hypertrophic/infiltrative cardiomyopathy groups.
- Strain-volume curves were constructed by plotting 3D strain against end-diastolic volume for each cardiac cycle.
- Key parameters including peak strain, curve slopes, and strain-to-volume ratios were computed for radial, longitudinal, and circumferential directions.
Main Results:
- Healthy subjects exhibited steep and clustered strain-volume curves.
- Patients with previous myocardial infarction and reduced ejection fraction showed progressive flattening of curves, indicating reduced slopes and strain-to-volume ratios (P<0.05).
- Hypertrophic/infiltrative cardiomyopathy presented with slopes and ratios similar to healthy controls, with significant correlations between end-diastolic volume and curve slopes (P<0.0001).
Conclusions:
- 3D echocardiography-derived strain-volume curves provide a distinctive, pathophysiology-consistent assessment of myocardial mechanics in cardiac remodelling.
- This analysis offers a novel, non-invasive method to evaluate myocardial mechanics and its relationship with ventricular volumes.
- The method demonstrates potential for improved diagnosis and management of various cardiac conditions.
