title: Integrated backscatter for the assessment of myocardial viability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ultrasonic tissue characterization is a non-invasive diagnostic method that uses myocardial integrated backscatter analysis to determine contractile performance and myocardial viability independent of wall motion. This review discusses recent clinical findings regarding the application of ultrasonic tissue characterization for the assessment of myocardial viability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As this technique is non-invasive, ultrasonic tissue characterization can be used to predict the patency of infarct-related arteries in patients in the early stage of acute myocardial infarction. Several recent studies have shown that this technique is useful in identifying myocardial contractile reserve. The accuracy of ultrasonic tissue characterization for predicting functional recovery after coronary reperfusion is comparable to dobutamine echocardiography and radionuclide methods. Several studies have suggested that the cyclic variation of myocardial integrated backscatter reflects myocardial viability rather than contractile reserve. The cyclic variation of integrated backscatter is associated with myocardial viability confirmed by the integrity of the microvasculature identified by contrast echocardiography. In addition, the cyclic variation of integrated backscatter better reflects myocardial viability confirmed by the integrity of cellar metabolism than contractile reserve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonic tissue characterization with integrated backscatter is a useful non-invasive method that can provide unique information for the assessment of myocardial viability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. syamada@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komuro
mesh_terms: D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017682:Myocardial Stunning / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014022:Tissue Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology