Intracardiac echocardiography: current uses and future directions.

Advances in transducer technology have enabled development of catheter-based ultrasound imaging devices that produce very high resolution images of vessels and cardiac structures. Although the majority of clinical use has been in the evaluation of the coronary and peripheral vasculature, a broad spectrum of cardiac applications continue to develop, including evaluations of the ventricles, valves, and great vessels, as well as the guidance of electrophysiological procedures. Specifically, introduction of the ultrasound catheter into the heart results in dynamic, real-time images for assessment and quantitation of ventricular systolic function, severity of valve stenosis, and extent of regurgitant orifices. The intracardiac applications have the potential to become the gold standard for quantitation of valve dynamics and a critical tool in the ICU for prolonged monitoring of cardiac physiology.