Over the past twenty years, under the impetus of technological innovations and the drive for cost-effectiveness, stress echocardiography has developed into a well-established technique that is versatile, patient friendly, and relatively inexpensive. This growth has been reflected in the increasing size of past editions of Stress Echocardiography, all of which have been praised for their clarity and scope. This fifth edition of the book has been extensively revised and updated to reflect the further progress achieved over the past few years. The early chapters place the technique within a historical context and describe its pathophysiological basis. Thereafter, all aspects of stress echocardiography are discussed, clearly and in detail, by the distinguished pioneer, Eugenio Picano, and other contributors carefully selected for their expertise in the topic under consideration. Both mainstream and emerging applications are explained, and systematic comparisons with competing and complementary cardiac imaging techniques are provided from a clinically oriented perspective. The text is supported by a CD-ROM and a large number of high-quality illustrations. This book will be invaluable not only to cardiologists but also to non-experts such as technicians and students.