Three-dimensional echocardiography: technical aspects and imaging modalities

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) is increasingly available in the veterinary field due to continuous reduction in costs and improvement of equipment. Much like its motion-mode and bi-dimensional counterparts, acquisition and analysis of RT3DE images and datasets is greatly improved by a thorough understanding of the technological aspects, basic physic principles, and knowledge of available modalities with their advantages and drawbacks. In this review, the authors aim to describe how the currently available RT3DE technology has evolved, explain technical aspects of the equipment, and illustrate the most commonly available modalities for image acquisition and visualization.