Echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function

Patients can have diastolic dysfunction with or without a depressed ejection fraction. The measurements used as the gold standard for diagnosing diastolic dysfunction are obtained by cardiac catheterization, which is not practical. Echocardiography has emerged among the noninvasive imaging modalities as the most versatile method for day-to-day use in clinical laboratories. This article summarizes the available techniques, with emphasis on the clinical application of each method.