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3D Wall-Motion Tracking Offers Quantitative Data
February 8, 2010
Echocardiography is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, but evaluation of myocardial function using 2D echocardiography relies primarily on visual detection of wall-motion abnormalities. In 2009, Toshiba America Medical Systems introduced a proprietary 3D Wall Motion Tracking (WMT) tool for its Aplio™ Artida ultrasound system, which helps clinicians quantify the function of the left ventricle in 3D—including left-ventricular ejection fraction, volume, and strain information.
“3D Wall Motion Tracking allows sonographers and physicians to quickly and accurately identify wall motion defects and the timing of cardiac events,” Berkeley Cameron, cardiac marketing manager for Toshiba, explains. “This greatly improves the detection of wall motion abnormalities in many cardiac disease states and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT), and helps physicians optimize pace maker settings.”
In addition, the tool can be useful in diagnosing heart disease in women. Although stress studies have been shown to detect heart disease fairly accurately in men, women sometimes experience an increased risk of false-positive results. “Usually, for women, physicians want to do stress echocardiography instead of a treadmill study,” Cameron says. “That’s one area where Wall Motion Tracking is particularly useful for women. Having quantitative data help make the diagnosis more accurate.”
The response from clinicians using the tool has been enthusiastic, Cameron says. “We’ve gotten quite a bit of positive feedback,” she notes. “The clinicians using WMT feel it’s going to help them diagnose coronary artery disease. Anything they can do to diagnose disease earlier and to be more accurate—to make echocardiography less subjective—is a big benefit.”