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Detection of Resting Myocardial Perfusion Defects by SonoVue ® Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography
Author(s) -
Nahar Tamanna,
Li Peng,
Kuersten Bettina,
Batra Sanjay,
Vannan Mani A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
echocardiography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1540-8175
pISSN - 0742-2822
DOI - 10.1046/j.1540-8175.2003.03087.x
Subject(s) - perfusion , medicine , perfusion scanning , nuclear medicine , myocardial perfusion imaging , radiology , bolus (digestion) , power doppler , ultrasound
Background: SonoVue ® is a new microbubble contrast agent containing sulfur hexafluoride. We assessed the efficacy of SonoVue ® myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) to detect resting perfusion abnormalities. Methods: Nineteen adult patients with a wall motion abnormality in a screening echocardiogram were studied. Each patient received up to four bolus injections of 2.0 mL SonoVue ® (Bracco Diagnostics, Inc.) during echocardiographic examination using either B‐mode(n = 12)or power Doppler(n = 7)imaging. Each patient also had SPECT nuclear perfusion imaging performed. Segmental assessment of myocardial perfusion from SonoVue ® MCE images were compared with corresponding SPECT nuclear images. Results: Using B‐mode imaging, the mean number of views obtained with a single SonoVue ® injection ranged from 1.4 to 1.9, with 2 or 3 injections required for a complete examination. Ninety‐four percent of segments were scored as diagnostic. Agreement between B‐mode and SPECT images was 72% for segments with a perfusion defect, 86% for normal perfusion, and 80% for segments with either perfusion defect or normal perfusion (all views combined). Using power Doppler imaging, the mean number of views obtained with a single SonoVue ® injection ranged from 1.0 to 1.3, with 2 to 4 injections required for a complete examination. Sixty‐eight percent of segments were scored as diagnostic. Agreement between power Doppler and SPECT images was 67% for perfusion defects, 53% for segments with normal perfusion, and 59% for segments with either perfusion defect or normal perfusion (all views combined). Conclusions: SonoVue ® MCE has the potential to assess myocardial perfusion at rest. B‐mode imaging was more accurate than power Doppler imaging when compared with SPECT nuclear imaging. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 20, August 2003)