Myocardial contrast echocardiography employing transesophageal echocardiography *
Contrast echocardiography is an echocardiographic imaging technique using contrast agents. Recently, the technical advances in contrast echocardiography have made possible quantification of myocardial perfusion abnormalities by transthoracic echocardiography. However, there has been only one report on myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and no reports regarding MCE employing TEE with a second harmonic imaging technique or second generation contrast agents. In the present study, we evaluated whether it is possible to perform MCE using TEE with a second harmonic imaging technique and second contrast agents (OPTISON (R)) and to quantify myocardial perfusion abnormalities in vivo. We concluded that 1 ) MCE using TEE with such an imaging technique and such contrast agents is possible in only the left ventricular inferior wall near a transducer, and 2 ) coronary flow reserve can be assessed by this method in the left ventricular inferior wall. (Accepted on April 22, 2002) Kawasaki Igakkaishi 28(2): 95 -100, 2002
