Review

Application of Tissue Doppler Imaging in Cardiology
Nikolay P. Nikitin, Klaus K.A. Witte

Department of Cardiology, Academic Unit, University of Hull School of Medicine, Kingston upon Hull, UK

Address of Corresponding Author

Cardiology 2004;101:170-184 (DOI: 10.1159/000076694)

  Key Words

• Echocardiography, Doppler
• Echocardiography, stress
• Ventricular function, left
• Ventricular dysfunction, left
• Ventricular function, right
• Ventricular dysfunction, right
• Systole
• Diastole
• Heart ventricle
• Heart diseases

  Abstract

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a new echocardiographic technique employing the Doppler principle to measure the velocity of myocardial segments and other cardiac structures. It is well suited for the measurement of long-axis ventricular function. Impairment of longitudinal myocardial fiber motion is a sensitive marker of early myocardial dysfunction and ischaemia, and TDI might therefore become an important tool in routine echocardiography. The technique allows truly quantitative measurement of regional myocardial function both at rest and during stress echocardiography. TDI has great potential in the diagnosis of diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, overcoming the load-dependence of conventional Doppler techniques. Right ventricular function, intracardiac and pulmonary artery pressures, transplant rejection and intraventricular dyssynchrony can also be assessed. This article reviews the current and evolving applications of TDI in cardiology.

Copyright © 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Dr. Nikolay P. Nikitin
Department of Cardiology, Academic Unit, University of Hull
Castle Hill Hospital, Castle Road, Cottingham
Kingston upon Hull, HU16 5JQ (UK)
Tel. +44 1482 624071, Fax +44 1482 624073, E-Mail N.P.Nikitin@hull.ac.uk

  Article Information

Received: July 3, 2003
Accepted: October 20, 2003
Published online: February 12, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 15
Number of Figures : 6, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 120