Three-dimensional echocardiographic evaluation of the heart chambers: size, function, and mass.

The major advantage of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging of the heart is the improvement in the accuracy of the echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac chamber volumes, which is achieved by eliminating the need for geometric modeling and the errors caused by foreshortened 2D views. In this article, we review the literature that has provided the scientific basis for the clinical use of 3D ultrasound imaging of the heart in the assessment of cardiac chamber size, function, and mass, and discuss its potential future applications.