Value of low dose dobutamine real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography in the assessment of coronary artery disease / 中华心血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the value of quantitative real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RT-MCE) combined with low dose dobutamine stress test in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), and to assess the contribution of collateral blood flow (CBF) to myocardial perfusion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-six hospitalized patients referred for coronary angiography and subsequent revascularization underwent routine echocardiography, RT-MCE at baseline and after low dose dobutamine administration. The images of RT-MCE were analyzed quantitatively from microbubble replenishment curves for myocardial perfusion and its reserve by using the QLab software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At baseline, both beta and A x beta (but not A) were decreased with the increase of severity of coronary stenosis (P < 0.01). Under dobutamine stress, A, beta and A x beta values were decreased with the increase of severity of coronary stenosis (P < 0.01), Graded decreasing in the reserves of A, beta and A x beta were observed with increasing coronary stenosis severity (P < 0.01). Furthermore, significant differences in beta, A x beta, and WMS were observed between segments with CBF and those without.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Quantitative RT-MCE in conjunction with dobutamine stress can be used as a sensitive measure to identify and stratify CAD as well as to assess the contribution of collateral blood flow.</p>