title: Incremental value of contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of left ventricular noncompaction.
abstract: Contrast echocardiography with left ventricular opacification (LVO) improves the definition of endocardium in two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). This study was aimed to determine whether LVO offered added diagnostic value in noncompaction of left ventricular myocardium (NCVM). A total of 85 patients (40 ± 20 years, 54 males) with suspected NCVM were subjected to transthoracic 2DE and LVO, and 40 healthy volunteers were examined with 2DE and assigned as control subjects. The location of NCVM, the thickness ratio of noncompacted to compacted myocardium (NCR), and the cavity size and ejection fraction of LV were quantified. Results revealed that NCVM was mainly located in the LV medium (53.2%), apical (46.2%) segments, and lateral wall (39.8%). The NCR obtained through LVO was greater than that detected through 2DE (4.2 ± 1.3 vs. 3.3 ±1.2, P < 0.001), and higher inter-correlations and less intra- and inter-observer variabilities were determined in the former than in the latter. The NCVM detection rates were also increased from 63.5% via 2DE to 83.5% via LVO and 89.4% via 2DE combined with LVO (2DE + LVO) (P = 0.0004). The LV cavity size was greater and the LVejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in the NCVM patients than in the control group (P < 0.01). In the NCVM group, the LV cavity size was higher and the LVEF was lower in LVO than in 2DE (P < 0.01). In conclusion, contrast echocardiography contributes significant sensitivity and reproducibility to routine transthoracic echocardiography in NCVM diagnosis. Therefore, this technique should be clinically performed to diagnose suspected NCVM.
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Xiaoxiao
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.|Oxford Echo Core Lab, NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Linli
authors: L
authors: Qiu
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Yali
authors: Y
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Lv
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: He
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors: Xinfang
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. xiemx64@126.com.
authors: Mingxing
authors: M
authors: Xie
authors: Oxford Echo Core Lab, NDCLS, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK. xy.jin@ouh.nhs.uk.
authors: Xu Yu
authors: XY
authors: Jin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003287:Contrast Media; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: echo contrast media; echocardiography; left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy