The main target of clinical and academic cardiology activities is to optimize the patient's management and ultimately their welfare. Professionals manage patients according to their own understanding of disease process; clinicians concentrate on alleviating the symptoms and echocardiographers on identifying the disease. This book helps to 'cross the barrier' and describes the common ground between physiologic disturbances and their management which should ideally form the shared basis for understanding and managing all cardiac problems.

A practical review of the many uses of echocardiography in clinical practice, Clinical Echocardiography is designed to integrate and refine the investigation of cardiac disorders within the framework of the pathologic, physiologic and surgical appearances of heart disease. It has been common to consider echocardiographic findings separately from the more physical aspects of heart disease. However, with the development of new imaging mod

alities such as three- and four-dimensional echocardiography, it has become necessary to consider this imaging as a window on the heart. This book aids the cardiologist, cardiac surgeon and echocardiographer to integrate their knowledge within the overall management of cardiac disease in a clinically relevant manner.

Michael Henein is professor and chief physian for departments of public health and clinical medicine and surgery and perioperative sciences, Umea University, Umea in Sweden. Besides that he has written some other books, published by Springer about hart faillure in clinical practice. His book Clinical Echocardiography is translated in Spanish.

1. Mitral valve.- 2. Aortic valve.- 3. Tricuspid valve.- 4. Pulmonary valve.- 5. Valve substitutes.- 6. Endocarditis.- 7. Pulmonary hypertension.- 8. Coronary artery disease.- 9. Dilated cardiomyopathy.- 10. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.- 11. Restrictive cardiomyopathy.- 12. Pericardial disease.- 13. Cardiac tumors.- 14. Disease of the aorta.