Current cardiology reports
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Advances in myocardial perfusion imaging have firmly established the use of noninvasive techniques capable of providing useful information over a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiovascular problems. Evaluating regional myocardial perfusion abnormalities is a cornerstone for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, risk assessment in those with known disease, and determination of myocardial viability. ⋯ Myocardial contrast echocardiography is an emerging technique capable of rapidly assessing myocardial perfusion at the capillary level in many different clinical settings. This article focuses on myocardial contrast-enhanced ultrasound perfusion techniques, emphasizing the unique information this modality provides compared with other noninvasive perfusion imaging techniques.
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Hemodynamics play a crucial role in diagnosing and managing heart failure (HF) as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. In an era of declining physical examination skills and questions about the safety of invasive monitoring, quantitative, objective data provided by echo-Doppler measurements can function as a type of "echo Swan-Ganz catheter" as an important adjustment to traditional methods of hemodynamic assessment. ⋯ Recent studies suggest these measurements can have an important role in clinical pathways treating patients admitted with decompensated HF. The availability of miniaturized echocardiographic devices with full echo-Doppler capability may make repeatable, noninvasive hemodynamic assessment readily available and cost-effective for patients in many clinical settings.