In this Special Issue of the Journal, 6 review articles that represent the new developments and applications of echocardiography for diagnosis and assessment of congenital heart disease from fetus to adult are included. The goal is to provide an updated review of the evidence for the current and potential use of some of the new methodologies, i.e. fetal echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, strain imaging by speckle tracking imaging, ventricular synchrony, quantification using real time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography, and 3D echocardiography for adults with congenital heart disease. We hope this effort will provide an impetus for more investigation and ultimately clinical application of these new methodologies to improve the care of those with congenital and acquired heart diseases in the pediatric population and beyond.
© 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.