Correlation between quantitative angiographic lesion severity and myocardial contrast intensity during a continuous infusion of perfluorocarbon-containing microbubbles

The purpose of this study was to determine whether quantitative measurements of myocardial video-intensity (MVI) during continuous intravenous infusions of microbubbles could detect differences in coronary artery stenosis severity during dobutamine stress echocardiography. Coronary artery stenoses were created in seven dogs by progressively tightening a snare around the coronary artery. Intravenous infusions of perfluorocarbon microbubbles were given during dobutamine stress. The initial rate of myocardial contrast enhancement (slope), peak myocardial contrast (peak MVI) at the longest pulsing interval, and the product (slope * peak MVI) were compared as ratios in the stenosed versus adjacent normal perfusion beds. Twenty-two coronary stenoses were compared (range 16% to 80% in diameter). There was a strong correlation between both slope ratios and slope * peak MVI ratios and percent stenosis (r = -0.89 for both, p < 0.001). The rate of contrast replenishment during a continuous infusion of microbubbles can be used to determine both the presence and severity of coronary stenoses during stress echocardiography.