L'ecocardiografia speckle tracking: Roadmap per la misurazione e l'utilizzo clinico

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has recently emerged as a quantitative technique to accurately estimate myocardial function. By the analysis of the motion of speckles in the two-dimensional ultrasonic image, this technique allows a non-Doppler angle-independent objective analysis of myocardial deformation, with the possibility to quantify thickening, shortening and rotation dynamics of cardiac function. Since this technique does not require Doppler imaging, the analysis is relatively angle-independent and is marginally affected by cardiac in-plane motion artifacts. Data regarding feasibility, reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy appear to be optimal in several clinical contexts. …