Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jul 1996
Clinical TrialDobutamine stress ultrasonic myocardial tissue characterization in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Although acoustic properties of the myocardium are different between patients with cardiomyopathy and normal subjects, the frequency of the abnormal properties in patients with cardiomyopathy is unknown. We assessed the frequency of abnormal acoustic properties of the myocardium detectable with integrated backscatter in patients with cardiomyopathy and attempted more sensitive ultrasonic tissue characterization by combining dobutamine stress testing in patients with cardiomyopathy with apparently normal acoustic properties of the myocardium at rest. The magnitude of cyclic variation of integrated backscatter and calibrated myocardial integrated backscatter at end diastole were measured in 36 normal subjects and 40 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. ⋯ Abnormal acoustic properties are detectable at rest with myocardial integrated backscatter about in three quarters of patients with cardiomyopathy. A combination of dobutamine stress testing would provide more sensitive ultrasonic myocardial tissue characterization and may make it possible to detect subtle changes in the acoustic properties of the myocardium in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Therefore dobutamine stress ultrasonic tissue characterization may detect mild dilated cardiomyopathy.