Detection of symptom-related coronary arteries in patients with coronary artery disease using real-time three-dimensional stress echocardiography with adenosine triphosphate

Abstract

Aim 1) To develop normative values of global and regional left ventricular longitudinal deformation (LVLD) during real time three-dimensional stress echocardiography with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and utilization of automated function imaging technology (4D Stress-Echo + LVLD with ATP); 2) to compare the effectiveness of detection of symptom-related coronary arteries during 4D Stress-Echo with ATP using: a) traditional visual assessment of regional myocardial contractility and b) step-by-step analysis of segmental LVLD.Material and Methods 15 healthy subjects and 32 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) were examined after coronary angiography. All individuals underwent 4D Stress-Echo + LVLD with ATP (Vivid E95, General Electric).Results The normative values of global LVLD at three stages of the pharmacological stress-test (before, during and after ATP infusion) were –19.5 (95% CI: -20.4 – -19.0), –21.6 (95% CI: -22.8 – -20.4) and –19.5 (95% CI: -20.3 – -18.6), respectively; the values of LVLD in each of the 17 segments of left ventricular myocardium in healthy subjects were also determined. In patients with CAD visual control of contractility during stress test revealed dynamic decrease in local thickening of the myocardium, appearance of new zones of contractility disorders and expansion of previously noted in 31.2% of cases, while analysis of deformation detected the appearance of new zones of deformation disturbances and expansion of previously found – in 68.7% (р = 0.0055). Stress-induced worsening of myocardial deformation during ATP infusion in the zones of blood supply of left anterior descending coronary artery, circumflex artery and right coronary artery (with presence of hemodynamically significant stenoses and occlusions detected during coronary angiography) were found in 28.0, 77.7 and 65.2% respectively (р1-3 = 0.0194; р1-2 = 0.0019; р2-3 = 0.2864).Conclusion The normal values of global and segmental LVLD for each stage of 4D Stress-Echo + LVLD with ATP were determined. 4D Stress-Echo + LVLD with ATP can significantly increase the effectiveness of symptom-related coronary arteries identification in patients with CAD in comparison with traditional Stress-Echo with visual assessment of local myocardial contractility.