Abstract des Autors

In Italy pre-participation screening in sport activity is provided for by law. Echocardiography, that has become the most appropriate diagnostic tool to evaluate valvulopathies and cardiomyopathies, has been widely used in the evaluation of subjects suffering from mild cardiovascular abnormalities who wish to participate in competitive sport. New progresses in the field of Doppler methods and a better quality of echocardiographic images gave the possibility to use them during dynamic stages, referring to the evaluation of right ventricular function during effort, in particular. These methods are able to calculate medium pulmonary pressure and right ventricular systolic pressure, obtaining the same results in relation to invasive investigations. This technique can be used to evaluate the hemodynamic consequences of the valvular regurgitation and the right ventricular performance. Stress echocardiography can therefore be considered a very reliable and non-invasive methodology, to evaluate left and right ventricular function and to detect the signs of an early damage in ventricular function due to valvular disease and/or to shunt, thus making possible to monitore and modulate the physical activity of the subject. Verf.-Referat