RESUMO
The clinically applied value of myocardial perfusion and systolic function in patients with coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass surgery using real-time myocardial contrast echo-cardiography (RT-MCE) combined with two-dimensional strain echocardiography was assessed.Twenty patients underwent intravenous RT-MCE by intravenous injections of Sono Vue before and after coronary artery bypass surgery. Two-dimensional images were recorded from the left ventricular four-chamber view, two-chamber view and the apical view before, and two weeks and three months af-ter coronary artery bypass surgery, and the peak systolic longitudinal strain was measured. The results showed that myocardial perfusion was significantly increased after coronary artery bypass surgery in about 71.6% segments. In the group that myocardial perfusion was improved, the peak systolic longitu-dinal strain three months after bypass surgery was significantly higher than that before operation [(-15.78±5.91)% vs (-10.45±8.31)%, P<0.05]. However, the parameters did not change in the group without myocardial perfusion improvement [(-10.33±6.53)% vs (-9.41±6.09)%, P>0.05]. It was con-cluded that whether or not the improvement of myocardial perfusion can mirror the recovery trend of regional systolic function, two-dimensional strain echocardiography can observe dynamic change of re-gional systolic function. The combination of myocardial perfusion with two-dimensional strain echocar-diography can more accurately assess the curative effectiveness of coronary artery bypass surgery.
RESUMO
The present study evaluated the application of three dimensional echocardigraphy (3DE) in the diagnosis of atrial septal defect (ASD) and the measurement of its size by 3DE and compared the size with surgical findings.Two-dimensional and real-time three dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) was performed in 26 patients with atrial septal defect,and the echocardiographic data were compared with the surgical findings.Significant correlation was found between defect diameter by RT3DE and that measured during surgery (r=0.77,P<0.001).The defect area changed significantly during cardiac cycle.Percentage change in defect size during cardiac cycle ranged from 6%-70%.Our study showed that the size and morphology of atrial septal defect obtained with RT3DE correlate well with surgical findings.Therefore,RT3DE is a feasible and accurate non-invasive imaging tool for assessment of atrial septal size and dynamic changes.
RESUMO
city on the systolic function of left ventricular subendocardial myocardium, and early monitor the epirubicin-induced cardiotoxic-ity.
RESUMO
In order to evaluate the left ventricular remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction after revascularization with intravenous real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RT-MCE), intravenous RT-MCE was performed on 20 patients with myocardial infarction before coronary revascularization. Follow-up echocardiography was performed 3 months after coronary revascularization. Segmental wall motion was assessed using 18-segment LV model and classified as normal, hypokinesis, akinesis and dyskinesis. Myocardial perfusion was assessed by visual interpretation and divided into 3 conditions: homogeneous opacification=1; partial or reduced opaciflcation or subendocardial contrast defect=2; constrast defect=3. Myocardial perfusion score index (MPSI) was calculated by dividing the total sum of contrast score by the total number of segments with abnormal wall motion. Twenty patients were classified into 2 groups according to the MPSI: MPSI≤1.5 as good myocardial perfusion, MPSI>1.5 as poor myocardial perfusion. To assess the left ventricular remodeling, the following comparisons were carried out: (1) Comparisons of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) before and 3 months after revascularization in two groups; (2) Comparisons of LVEF, LVESV and LVEDV pre-revascularization between two groups and comparisons of these 3 months post-revascularization between two groups; (3) Comparisons of the differences in LVEF, LVESV and LVEDV between 3 months post-and pre-revascularization (△LVEF, △LVESV and △LVEDV) between two groups; (4) The linear regression analysis between △LVEF, △LVESV, △LVEDV and MPSI. The results showed that the LVEF obtained 3 months after revascularization in patients with MPSI>1.5 was obviously lower than that in those with MPSI≤1.5. The LVEDV obtained 3 months post-revascularization in patients with MPSI>1.5 was obviously larger than that in those with MPSI≤1.5 (P=0.002 and 0.04). The differences in ΔLVEF and ΔLVEDV between patients with MPSI>1.5 and those with MPSI≤1.5 were significant (P=0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Linear regression analysis revealed that MPSI had a negative correlation with △LVEF and a positive correlation with ΔLVESV, ΔLVEDV (P=0.004,0.008, and 0.016, respectively). It was concluded that RT-MCE could accurately evaluate the left ventricular remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction after revascularization.
RESUMO
This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between carotid atherosclerotic plaque stability and the clinical symptoms in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Fifty patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques were enrolled and examined with contrast-enhanced uitrasonography. The correlation of contrast agent enhancement of the carotid atherosclerotic plaques and the clinical symptoms was analyzed. The results showed that among the 50 patients, plaques were enhanced in the 23 patients with obvious clinical symptoms. In 27 patients without apparent clinical symptoms, plaques were enhanced sparsely in 15 patients and not enhanced in 12 patients. It was suggested that contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could be used for the examination of the microcirculation in carotid atherosclerotic plaques on real-time basis and serve as a new noninvasive approach for the assessment of stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.