Advanced functional echocardiographic imaging of the failing heart in children

Over the past decade, new echocardiographic techniques such as three-dimensional echocardiography and the imaging of myocardial deformation (strain) have been developed, and are increasingly used in clinical practice. In this article, we describe the rationale and methodology, review available guidelines for practice, and discuss the advantages and limitations of each of these modalities. When available, we have also summarised the scientific evidence for the clinical application of these techniques to detect heart failure in children.