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Parametric Detection and Measurement of Perfusion Defects in Attenuated Contrast Echocardiographic Images
Author(s) -
Yoshifuku Shiro,
Chen Shigao,
McMahon Eileen,
Korinek Josef,
Yoshikawa Akiko,
Ochiai Izuru,
Sengupta Partho P.,
Belohlavek Marek
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2007.26.6.739
Subject(s) - medicine , attenuation , perfusion , correction for attenuation , contrast (vision) , nuclear medicine , beat (acoustics) , biomedical engineering , radiology , optics , physics , positron emission tomography
Objective Attenuation of radio frequency (RF) signals limits the use of contrast echocardiography. The harmonic‐to‐fundamental ratio (HFR) of the RF signals compensates for attenuation. We tested whether HFR analysis measures the left ventricular nonperfused area under simulated experimental attenuation. Methods Radio frequency image data from short axis systolic projections were obtained from 11 open‐chest dogs with left anterior descending or left circumflex coronary artery occlusion followed by left atrial bolus injection of a perflutren microbubble contrast agent. Clinical attenuation was simulated by calibrated silicone pads interposed between the epicardial surface and the transducer to induce mild (7‐dB) and severe (14‐dB) reduction of the backscattered RF signals. Harmonic‐to‐fundamental ratio values were calculated for each image pixel for 0‐, 7‐, and 14‐dB attenuation conditions and reproducibly showed a “perfused area” and a “nonperfused area.” A reference nonperfused area was obtained by manual delineation in high‐quality contrast scans. Results Correlations of the HFR‐detected and manually outlined perfusion defect areas were R = 0.92 for 0 dB, R = 0.94 for 7 dB, and R = 0.90 for 14 dB; the mean difference was less than 0.36 cm 2 (negligible) in all 3 attenuation settings. Conclusions Attenuation compensation by our HFR method allows precise measurement of myocardial perfusion defect areas in contrast scans with simulated high level of attenuation.