Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography: never before clinical efficacy looked so picturesque

• Three-dimensional echocardiography is a major innovation in cardiovascular imaging.
• 3-Dimensional imaging improves the evaluation of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction.
• 3-Dimensional speckle-tracking assesses myocardial deformation in all three spatial dimensions.
• 3-Dimensional valve imaging provides accurate morphological and functional information.
• 3-Dimensional echocardiography is essential in guiding interventional procedures.

Over the years echocardiography has served the clinical cardiologist in a variety of clinical scenarios, assisting in patient diagnostic and therapeutic managements. With the advent of novel imaging modalities we now experience the renascence of imaging. As a result, the field of cardiovascular medicine is strongly connected to imaging, which in turn requires thorough knowledge of each modality's distinct advantages and limitations. In this concise review we present up-to-date knowledge with regard to real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and its implementation in clinical practice.