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High-frequency High-resolution Echocardiography: First Evidence on Non-invasive Repeated Measure of Myocardial Strain, Contractility, and Mitral Regurgitation in the Ischemia-reperfused Murine Heart
11:50

High-frequency High-resolution Echocardiography: First Evidence on Non-invasive Repeated Measure of Myocardial Strain, Contractility, and Mitral Regurgitation in the Ischemia-reperfused Murine Heart

Published on: July 9, 2010

[Significance of stress echocardiography in patients with angiographically intact coronary arteries]

Ia K Rustamova, M N Alekhin, D V Sal'nikov

    Kardiologiia
    |December 17, 2008
    PubMed

    Insights

    Stress echocardiography has limited effectiveness in diagnosing coronary syndrome X (CSX). While it can reveal abnormalities in patients with unchanged coronary arteries, its low sensitivity makes it unsuitable for definitive CSX diagnosis.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiology
    • Diagnostic Imaging

    Background:

    • Coronary angiography (CAG) may show no significant narrowing in patients with chest pain.
    • Coronary Syndrome X (CSX) is a condition with unclear diagnostic markers.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To assess the diagnostic significance of stress echocardiography (EchoCG) in patients with normal coronary arteries.
    • To evaluate EchoCG's effectiveness in identifying Coronary Syndrome X (CSX).

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of 75 patients with normal CAG results.
    • Comparison of stress echocardiography and ECG findings.
    • Assessment of contrast medium retention and minor stenoses via CAG.

    Main Results:

    • Transient contractility disturbances were more frequent in CSX patients (52%) vs. non-CSX (21%).
    • Discrepancies between ECG and EchoCG for ischemia were higher in CSX.
    • Contrast retention was higher in CSX (29%) vs. non-CSX (13%).
    • Low sensitivity (52%) of stress EchoCG for CSX diagnosis.

    Conclusions:

    • Patients with normal coronary arteries are heterogeneous, including CSX, vasospastic angina, and anatomical variations.
    • Stress echocardiography is not a sufficiently sensitive method for diagnosing CSX.

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