Noninvasive visualization and measurement of middle cardiac vein flow by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography offers a noninvasive approach for imaging posterior descending coronary artery (PD) running in the posterior longitudinal sulcus along the middle cardiac vein (MCV). To evaluate whether the MCV flow velocity reserve can reflect the PD flow reserve, 22 children with various heart diseases were examined using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Introduction of a modified transthoracic two chamber view with the transducer rotated counterclockwise and angulated posteriorly allows visualization of the MCV and PD. Peak systolic flow velocity and average peak systolic flow velocity in the MCV and peak diastolic flow velocity and average peak diastolic flow velocity in the PD were measured at rest and hyperemic conditions (intravenous administration of adenosine of 0.16 mg/kg/min). Coronary flow reserve was defined as the ratio of peak hyperemic to basal average peak flow velocity. ATP infusion induced significant increases in the peak systolic flow velocity and average peak systolic flow velocity in the MCV. The mean MCV flow velocity reserve in the patients was 1.94 +/- 0.44. Significant increases in the peak diastolic flow velocity and the average peak diastolic flow velocity in the PD were also observed during ATP infusion, and the mean PD flow velocity reserve (2.19 +/- 0.62) was significantly higher than the GCV flow velocity reserve (p < 0.0001). There was a good correlation between the MCV flow velocity reserve and PD flow velocity reserve (r = 0.86, p < 0.0001). This study demonstrated that it was possible to measure the MCV flow velocity and MCV flow velocity reserve in pediatric patients by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. The MCV flow reserve correlated highly with the PD flow reserve. However, the degree of the MCV flow during hyperemia was less than that of the PD flow. This underestimation should be considered when the reactive hyperemic response is evaluated from the MCV flow velocity.