Echocardiographic Strain Imaging for Myocardial Viability

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease

“…Clinical limitations of this technique are attributed to the complexity of myofi ber orientation, which creates motion in three dimensions: longitudinal shortening (base > mid > apex), radial thickening (all segments), and circumferential rotation (apex). Ability to image in only one plane and misalignment of the Doppler probe with the vector of cardiac motion diminish the accuracy of Doppler velocity imaging and may limit its clinical applicability at this time [ 19 ]. Strain imaging, a method for calculating regional myocardial function from TDI velocity data, theoretically is not confounded by translational movement or tethering [ 19 ].…”

“…Ability to image in only one plane and misalignment of the Doppler probe with the vector of cardiac motion diminish the accuracy of Doppler velocity imaging and may limit its clinical applicability at this time [ 19 ]. Strain imaging, a method for calculating regional myocardial function from TDI velocity data, theoretically is not confounded by translational movement or tethering [ 19 ]. Strain rates refl ect the speed of regional myocardial longitudinal deformation and are calculated from myocardial TDI velocities measured at two locations separated by a given distance [ 7 ].…”

Strain Rate Analysis and Levosimendan Improve Detection of Myocardial Viability by Dobutamine Echocardiography in Patients With Post-Infarction Left Ventricular Dysfunction: A Pilot Study

“…Clinically relevant stressinduced changes in regional function might occur below the threshold of visual detection. 4 In addition, visual analysis of WM and thickening on grayscale images is semiquantitative and strongly operator dependent. 4 A more objective evaluation is therefore needed to achieve a true quantitative, parametric analysis of stress echocardiography.…”

“…4 In addition, visual analysis of WM and thickening on grayscale images is semiquantitative and strongly operator dependent. 4 A more objective evaluation is therefore needed to achieve a true quantitative, parametric analysis of stress echocardiography. 5 With regard to dobutamine, reliable information on postrevascularization left ventricular functional recovery can be obtained only if a significant area of hibernating myocardium is present.…”

“…4 As a consequence, the need for new diagnostic tools and, possibly, new stressors is increasing. 5 Strain rate (SR) imaging has recently been shown to improve the detection of myocardial viability over conventional wall motion (WM) analysis.…”