[Diagnosis of ischemic cardiopathy by 2-dimensional echocardiography carried out after the bicycle ergometry test in the supine position: feasibility, sensibility and specificity].

We performed two dimensional echocardiography (2D ECO) after bicycle exercise obtained in supine position in 80 patients undergoing coronary angiography for the evaluation of chest pain. Adequate 2D images after exercise were recorded in 64/80 (80%) patients (pts). Forty pts had significative coronary artery disease (CAD), 24 had no CAD. Twenty-three CAD pts had left ventricle wall motion abnormalities (WMA) at rest; 17 pts had 1-, 11 2- and 12 3-vessels disease. The test was considered positive if WMA were present after exercise. Thirty-two CAD pts and 1 pt without CAD had WMA after exercise, thus sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 80% and 96%. In 1-, 2- and 3-vessels disease pts, sensitivity was, respectively, 71%, 91% and 83%. WMA were observed after exercise in 9/17 (53%) pts without WMA at rest. 2D Echo obtained after bicycle exercise performed in the supine position is a feasible, sensitive and specific technique to detect CAD.