ABSTRACT
In this study, 41 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease were examined by myocardial contrast echocardiography [MCE] using randomly either harmonic power Doppler with intermittent imaging [27 patients] or real time coherent imaging [14 patients] using intravenous Levovist infusion. All patients underwent single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT] after the injection of technetium-99m [Tc-99m] sestamibi or thallium-201 [Th 201] at rest within one to three days of MCE. Both echocardiographic and scintigraphic images were analyzed by two experienced cardiologists in a blinded manner using the same 16-segment model of the left ventricle and the same scale used for perfusion grading. The concordance between MCE [harmonic power Doppler intermittent imaging [HPDI] or real time imaging [RTI]] and SPECT for the detection of segments with normal or abnormal perfusion was analyzed