Contrast echo and perfusion stress (2D/3D) : which role in clinical practice?
Gaibazzi, N.
Minerva Cardioangiologica 59(5): 479-490
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0026-4725 PMID: 21983308 Document Number: 654094
In this review we will clarify some key technical aspects of myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) but we will mostly address its potential clinical application during stress-echocardiography in today's cardiology practice, according to the literature and to the author's view. MCE is a bedside technique, it is cheap and has a very high diagnostic accuracy and safety. Nonetheless MCE use remains confined to the few echolabs which pioneered and developed the technique: Why is that? We here suggest a number of potential explanations for this research/clinical practice "mismatch", and how to overcome it, putting MCE in its proper cardinal role among diagnostic methods in cardiology.