The Role of Echocardiography in Evaluation of Athletic Heart: A Scoping Study.

Abstract

Echocardiography can be a useful tool to evaluate athlete's heart in various sports. In this scoping review, we discuss some of the structural and functional changes of the right ventricle across different echocardiographic modes and techniques among individuals engaging in extreme athletic activity. We highlight the role of imaging in the evaluation of athlete's heart and describe similarities and differences between echocardiographic and cardiac MRI features related to acute and chronic athletic activity. We will also review novel echocardiographic parameters including speckle tracking and strain/strain rate imaging. Overall, we aim to present common echocardiographic parameters in elite sports population in order to facilitate better interpretation of their interpretations that may not necessarily be a distinct digression from these common features.