Atila Bitigen, Mustafa Bulut

Keywords: Echocardiography, contrast materials, interventional procedures.

Abstract

Contrast echocardiography by rendering better imaging of the borders of cardiac chambers is a useful tool for evaluating cardiac function, mass, myocardial vascularization, microvascular structure (small vessel vasculature) and viability. Contrast was first started to be used for patients with suboptimal image quality. It can be used in detecting defects in myocardial blood supply in patients with chest pain and determining the success of interventional procedures. It can also be of help in demonstrating myocardial viability after reperfusion treatment in patients who had myocardial infarction. It is expected to be used more widely in invasive cardiology for decision making, guiding and determining the success of the procedures. Advances in imaging techniques, development of contrast materials for evaluation of left system, contrast echocardiography may become a routine clinical practice.