Myocardial perfusion imaging with colour power doppler contrast echocardiography

The purpose of the study was to determine whether Colour Power- Doppler myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) may be used to detect myocardial perfusion using a venous injection of contrast in patients with established coronary artery disease. Fifteen patients with known coronary artery disease and myocardial perfusion defect on Tc-99m sestamibi (MIBI) SPECT underwent MCE within 4 weeks of the SPECT study. Colour Power-Doppler was used in the second harmonic mode to assess myocardial perfusion after peripheral venous injection of BR-1, a new contrast agent. Myocardial perfusion was assessed as present or absent using a 5 segment matching model for both MCE and MIBI SPECT. Of a total of 75 possible segments, 7 (9%) were not analysed because of artefacts during MCE. MIBI showed perfusion defects in 40 out of the 68 analysable segments. There was a concordance of 93% (Kappa=0.85) between MCE and a MIBI SPECT for the detection of perfusion defect in these segments. Concordances between MCE and MIBI SPECT for the identification of perfusion defects in the antero-septal segments was 96% (Kappa=0.92) and infero-lateral segments 93% (Kappa= 0.86). Colour Power-Doppler harmonic imaging during MCE is similar to MIBI SPECT for the detection of myocardial perfusion abnormalities in patients with coronary artery disease.