title: [Echocardiography in coronary heart disease].
abstract: Coronary heart disease can be detected via echocardiography, if myocardial ischemia or infarction are present leading to segmental abnormalities of left ventricular function. The capability to demonstrate these regional changes is limited as far as TM echocardiography is concerned, whereas 2D echocardiography is more reliable. For this purpose, cross-sectional imaging of all segments in several planes is necessary. The complex mosaic of findings obtained in this way is best documented by means of a segmental scheme of representative sections. Infarct size then can be estimated by a segmental score. Depressed wall motion and systolic wall thickening are used as criteria for ischaemia and infarction. In the chronic phase, morphological changes can be identified additionally: Thinning, expansion and increased reflectivity of the infarcted areas. In acute myocardial infarction, echocardiography is mainly used if the course is complicated, in the chronic phase, if ECG-changes are questionable, or to evaluate residual ventricular function after large infarcts. Even the TM echocardiogram reliably estimates the ventricular damage caused by the infarct in the chronic phase.
mesh_terms: D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis
vernacular_title: Echokardiographie bei koronarer Herzerkrankung.