Resting echocardiography is the most important tool for diagnosing valvular heart disease. However, treatment planning in valvular heart diseases may require additional information in some patients, particularly asymptomatic patients with severe valve disease or symptomatic patients with moderate disease. Stress echocardiography provides invaluable information in these situations and aids decision making. Stress echocardiography is performed using either physical stress or dobutamine stress and various valve parameters are monitored during the stress. Further, the ventricular performance, which is an important determinant of outcome in valve disease is also closely monitored during stress which helps immensely in planning the intervention. Lastly, possibility of associated coronary artery disease can also be evaluated, especially in the elderly. This article discusses the role of stress evaluation in assessment of valve disease in the commonly encountered clinical situations.

Regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) are usually described with Ischemic Heart Disease. But many other conditions also show RWMA. What are those conditions, how to recognize RWMA in them and what is it's importance is discussed.

No abstract

Intracardiac thrombus is seen in many circumstances. Rarely it is found in left atrium in the absence of mitral stenosis. Here we are reporting a case of Cardiomyopathy with thrombus in left ventricle and left atrium.

No abstract