O. Yamaoka et al., LOW-DOSE DOBUTAMINE STRESS TEST FOR THE EVALUATION OF CARDIAC-FUNCTION USING ULTRAFAST COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY, Clinical cardiology, 16(6), 1993, pp. 473-479
High dose-dobutamine (DOB) has been previously used as a pharmacologic
al stress test to evaluate wall motion abnormalities. As a result, rec
ent stress echocardiography with low-dose DOB has been reported to be
valuable for investigating stunned myocardium after thrombolysis. Howe
ver, echocardiography requires an operator's skill and experience to e
valuate wall motion abnormalities which are subjectively determined by
the observer. In contrast, ultrafast computed tomography (UFCT) does
not necessarily require extreme technical skill and experience. To eva
luate the feasibility of stress UFCT with low-dose DOB, we scanned 10
normal subjects along the short-axis by 8-slice-multicine mode. After
scanning at rest for baseline, we scanned during the administration of
4 and 8 mug/kg/min of DOB, respectively, for 5 min. Ejection fraction
, contraction, and thickening were higher during 8 mug/kg/min of DOB t
han during 4 mug/kg/min of DOB and baseline, while the above values we
re higher during 4 mug/kg/min of DOB than during baseline (p < 0.01).
It was possible to detect changes of cardiac function and wall motion
due to low-dose DOB by UFCT. We therefore conclude that UFCT is a reli
able modality for evaluating cardiac function and wall motion for low-
dose DOB stress test because of its excellent spatial and contrast res
olution.