Myocardial contrast echocardiography: a reproducible technique of myocardial opacification for identifying regional perfusion deficits.

The effects and reliability of a simple method of contrast two-dimensional echocardiographic delineation of myocardium after intracoronary injections were evaluated in closed-chest dogs. Multiple injections of an agitated saline-Renografin (meglumine diatrizoate) mixture (3:2 ratio, 2-ml bolus) into the left main coronary artery as well as at different sites of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries were studied in several short-axis and long-axis cross sections of the left ventricle. These contrast injections opacified specific regions of left ventricular myocardium depending on the site of injection. Contrast injection into the left main coronary artery provided a clear, echo-free outline (negative contrast) of underperfused myocardium distal to the coronary occlusion. Reproducibility studies of the extent of involved zones measured in echocardiographic cross sections indicated high intra- and interobserver correlation coefficients (r = 0.97 and 0.97). The effects of the intracoronary injection of contrast material appeared minor and brief. ECG ST-T changes lasted 49.4 +/- 36.7 seconds, aortic systolic pressure was reduced by 7.6 +/- 4.4% for 18.9 +/- 4.8 seconds, and the peak rate of left ventricular pressure rise decreased by 14.3 +/- 2.6%, but returned to control levels within 19.4 +/- 6.1 seconds. The zone of left ventricular asynergy after coronary occlusions was also delineated by cross-sectional echocardiography and corresponded to the contrast-outlined underperfused zone (negative contrast). This new intracoronary echocardiographic technique has only minor hemodynamic consequences and provides reliable quantitation of underperfused and dysfunctioning zones after experimental coronary occlusions. Further investigation and validation of this method may provide useful characterization of the extent and severity of myocardial ischemia and infarction.