Color Doppler imaging of the myocardium: current status and potential clinical applications

Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI) is a new technique with potential clinical and research applications. It applies traditional pulsed and color Doppler techniques to the analysis of myocardial contractile velocity. A major area of focus is in the quantitation of regional and global myocardial function and evaluation of myocardial perfusion in conjunction with myocardial contrast studies. DMI may also provide a direct, relatively load-independent assessment of diastolic function. Further work is required to identify its role in clinical and research studies.