RESUMO
Contrast transesophageal echocardiography was found useful in diagnosing combined interatrial and intrapulmonary right-to-left shunts in a patient presenting with orthodeoxia. This was done by separately examining the pulmonary veins and the interatrial septum during intravenous normal saline injections.
RESUMO
This preliminary experimental study demonstrates the potential usefulness of harmonic power Doppler imaging in producing left ventricular myocardial opacification and demonstrating intramyocardial coronary vessels during contrast echocardiography using Levovist, a saccharide-based contrast agent. The contrast effect was most dramatic when a vasodilator such as dipyridamole or nitroglycerin was used in conjunction with contrast injections of Levovist. No significant myocardial opacification was noted with B-mode harmonic imaging alone.
RESUMO
Utilizing a new echocardiographic system, intramyocardial coronary arteries could be demonstrated by color Doppler in a small number of open chest animals. Both intravenous and intracoronary injections of a contrast agent (Levovist) resulted in significant enhancement of color flow signals with an increase in the length, width, and the number of these vessels. Similar results were obtained with intravenous infusion and direct intracoronary injections of a vasodilator (adenosine). (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, November 1996)