Myocardial contrast echocardiography: A new gold standard for perfusion imaging?

Recent developments have permitted myocardial contrast echocardiography (MC E) to become a new method of noninvasively assessing myocardial perfusion i n humans. Preliminary studies of myocardial perfusion, imaging during adeno sine, dipyridamole, and dobutamine stress echocardiography have shown excel lent agreement with either radionuclide uptake or quantitative angiography. This article reviews the recent advances in microbubble technology, ultras ound imaging, and myocardial physiology that have made contrast echocardiog raphy a potential new gold standard for perfusion imaging in the new millen nium.