Three dimensional Parameters of Cardiac Structure and Function
Current guidelines recommend the use of 3D volumes in the quantification
of LV size. This is due to several advantages of 3D over 2D imaging
including minimal foreshortening and more accurate volumetric
quantification (32). Of the
included studies, only one study assessed 3D LVEDV and 3D LV mass,
showing no significant difference between myocarditis populations and
controls (17). The proposed
reason for this negative finding is again likely due to the absence of
chronicity and the acute pathogenesis of myocarditis and its effect on
the myocardium (1). The other
reason could relate to the inclusion of only populations with preserved
LV systolic function, highlighting a non-severe myocarditis process in
this cohort. Unfortunately, none of the included studies compared 3D
left ventricular ejection fraction in myocarditis populations vs
controls. The lack of any studies examining changes in 3D LVEF is not
surprising since 3D echocardiography has only been studied in a handful
of cardiac pathologies to date largely due to inter-vendor differences,
lack of standardization and unclear feasibility or added clinical value