The Early Days of Two-Dimensional Echocardiography in Korea (1977-1981)

Today, echocardiography is an essential non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool used in clinics worldwide. However, the application of ultrasound to the heart began only about 70 years ago. In the early 1950s, Hertz and Edler described the use of ultrasound for myocardial walls and mitral valve diseases. Feigenbaum (1960s) expanded the clinical use of M-mode echocardiography. The advent of two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography (1970s), spectral Doppler (1970s), and color Doppler (1980s) established them for routine assessment of cardiac anatomy and hemodynamics. In Korea, the history of 2D echocardiography spans only 46 years, within living memory, and some early contributions are often overlooked. The initial 2D imaging using mechanical sector scanning was very different from the current electronic phased-array scanners. This review explores the historical status and actual images of the initial 2D echocardiography in Korea in 1977-1981.