Assessment of myocardial blood flow and volume using myocardial contrast echocardiography.
The development of new microbubble agents and ultrasound imaging modalities now allows the assessment of myocardial perfusion with echocardiography. Microbubbles also can be administered intravenously as constant infusions, which allows their concentration in blood to reach steady state. If the relation between microbubble concentration and video intensity is within the linear range, then myocardial video intensity will reflect the concentration of microbubbles in that region, which at steady state is the myocardial blood volume. The ability to destroy microbubbles and measure their replenishment into the ultrasound beam provides an opportunity to evaluate microbubble (or red blood cell) velocity. The product of myocardial blood volume and red blood cell velocity represents myocardial blood flow.
Wei
Kevin
K
Cardiovascular Division, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA. kw6n@virginia.edu
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D014741:Video Recording
D003287:Contrast Media