Echocardiographic evaluation of coronary artery disease

Although the availability and utilization of other noninvasive imaging modalities for the evaluation of coronary artery disease have expanded over the last decade, echocardiography remains the most accessible, cost-effective, and lowest risk imaging choice for many indications. The clinical utility of mature echocardiographic methods (i.e. two-dimensional echocardiography, stress echocardiography, contrast echocardiography) across the spectrum of coronary artery disease has been well established by numerous clinical studies. With continuing advancements in ultrasound technology, emerging ultrasound technologies such as three-dimensional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, and speckle tracking methods hold significant promise to further widen the scope of clinical applications and improve diagnostic accuracy. In this review, we provide an update on the role of echocardiography in the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of coronary artery disease and introduce emerging technologies that are anticipated to further increase the clinical utility of echocardiography in the evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease.