[Initial experience with the use of Levovist in adult patients with suboptimal echocardiograms]

To report our experience with the use of Levovist in echocardiographic studies.

We studied consecutively patients with suboptimal echocardiographic studies. A bolus of 4 gr @ 400 mg/ml was administered via antecubital vein and a second echocardiogram was performed during the ensuing minutes.

Between June and July 1998 we studied 16 patients with suboptimal echocardiograms, seven males and nine females, ages 29-77. There were six patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), three with mitral regurgitation (MR), one with dynamic subaortic stenosis, five with right chambers dilatation and one with a left atrial tumor. No patient referred discomfort or had any complication-with Levovist. The mean time of the contrast effect was nine minutes. A better delineation of endocardial borders was observed this allowed better evaluation of wall motion and left ventricular function in patients with CAD. There was Doppler enhancement in patients with MR and subaortic stenosis facilitating its evaluation. We documented atrial septal defect non visualized previously in two of five patients with right chambers dilatation. There was a better delineation of the left atrial tumor.

Levovist showed enhancement of all Doppler modalities and facilitated de evaluation of MR, left ventricular function, subaortic stenosis and a cardiac tumor. It was safe and well tolerated.