title: Initial experience using contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional exercise stress echocardiography in a low-risk population.
abstract: Although emerging data support the utility of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) during dobutamine stress testing, the feasibility of performing contrast enhanced RT3DE during exercise treadmill stress has not been explored. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) acquisition were performed in 39 patients at rest and peak exercise. Contrast was used in 29 patients (74%). Reconstruction was performed manually by generating short axis cut planes at the base, mid-ventricle and apex, and automatically by generating 9 short axis slices. Three-dimensional acquisition was feasible during rest and stress regardless of the use of contrast. Time to acquire stress images was reduced using 3D (35.2±17.9 s) as compared to 2D acquisition (51.6±14.7 s; P<0.05). Using a 17-segment model, of all 663 segments, 588 resting (88.6%) and 563 stress segments (84.9%) were adequately visualized using manually reconstructed 3D data, compared with 618 resting (93.2%) and 606 stress segments (91.4%) using 2D data (P rest=0.06; P stress=0.07). We concluded that contrast enhanced RT3DE is feasible during treadmill stress echocardiography.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Section of Cardiovascular Imaging, Stony Brook University Medical Center Stony Brook, NY, USA.
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Stergiopoulos
authors: Samira
authors: S
authors: Bahrainy
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Buzzanca
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Blizzard
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Gamboa
authors: Smadar
authors: S
authors: Kort