title: Automated coupled-contour and robust myocardium tracking in stress echocardiography.
abstract: Dobutamine stress echocardiography is a commonly used imaging modality for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and the detection of myocardial viability. The major limitations are that it is operator dependent and that the analysis is subjective and qualitative resulting in interobserver variability. It is also tedious and time consuming. Consequently, several quantitative approaches have been proposed, such as acoustic quantification and color kinesis but none of these has proved to be fully quantitative. In this manuscript we describe the development of a new, quantitative technique based on tracking of both endocardium and epicardium providing information of endocardial excursion and myocardial thickening, a crucial parameter of wall function evaluation. Preliminary data indicate that the method is practical and feasible, but clinical trials are required to prove whether it will improve the sensitivity and specificity of dobutamine stress echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stefanos E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Karagiannis
authors.forename: Jos
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roelandt
authors.forename: Maleeha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qazi
authors.forename: Sriram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Harm H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Feringa
authors.forename: Radosav
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vidakovic
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karatasakis
authors.forename: Dennis V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cokkinos
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poldermans
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004280:Dobutamine; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004280:Dobutamine