Dobutamine stress MRI versus threedimensional contrast echocardiography: It’s all Black and White

Dobutamine stress magnetic resonance imaging is considered the superior stress modality to detect wall motion abnormalities. In this report we demonstrate the strengths of a newly developed stress modality: dobutamine stress contrastenhanced real-time three-dimensional echocardiography. This stress modality may become a competitor of stress magnetic resonance imaging allowing fast acquisition and an unlimited number of left ventricular cross sections. Unfortunately, at the moment adequate imaging with stress realtime three-dimensional echocardiography is only possible in a minority of cardiac patients. (Neth Heart J 2008;16:217-8.)     

THE EFFECT OF AEROBIC CONTINUOUS AND INTERVAL TRAINING ON LEFT VENTRICULAR STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN MALE NON-ATHLETES

Exercise plays an important role to improve cardiovascular performance. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of aerobic continuous and interval training on the left ventricular structure and function. Twenty untrained healthy male students (aged 18-22 years) were randomly divided into two groups: continuous (C; n = 10) and interval (I; n = 10). The training programme consisted of countryside jogging for 45 min during 8 weeks three times a week at 70% of maximum heart rate (MHR). In each session group C was jogging for 45 min and in group I jogging was performed in 5 nine-minute stages with a four-minute inactive rest between them. M-mode, 2-dimensional, colour and Doppler transthoracic echocardiography were performed, during resting conditions, before and after the training period. After 8-week training the end diastolic diameter, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in groups C and I, and the posterior wall thickness and the end systolic diameter in group I showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). On the other hand, the percentage of ejection fraction and shortening fraction in groups C and I, the end systolic diameter and the posterior wall thickness in group C and the interventricular septum thickness in group I demonstrated a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05). Comparing the two groups, only the value of the interventricular septum thickness was significant (P ≤ 0.05). In general, eight-week aerobic continuous and interval training can affect left ventricular structure and function.     

Experimental acute hypoxia in healthy subjects: evaluation of systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle at rest and during exercise using echocardiography

To clarify whether or not systolic and diastolic function of the human left ventricle (LV) were decreased during acute hypoxia, at rest and with exercise, 14 healthy male volunteers [age 25.9 (SD 3.0) years, height 182.9 (SD 7.1) cm, body mass 75.9 (SD 6.9)kg] were examined using M-mode and 2D-mode echocardiography to determine the systolic LV function as well as Doppler-echocardiography for the assessment of diastolic LV function on 2 separate test days. In random order, the subjects breathed either air on 1 day (N) or a gas mixture with reduced oxygen content on the other (H; oxygen fraction in inspired gas 0.14). Measurements on either day were made at rest, several times during incremental cycle exercise in a supine position (6-min increments of 50 W, maximal load 150 W) and in 6th min of recovery. Corresponding measurements during N and H were compared statistically. Arterial O₂ tension (P _aO₂) was normal on N-day. All subjects showed a marked acute hypoxia at rest [P _aO₂, 54.5 (SD 4.6) mmHg], during exercise and recovery on H-day. The latter was associated with tachycardia compared to N-day. All echocardiographic measurements at rest were within the limits of normal values on both test days. Ejection time, end-systolic and end-diastolic left ventricular dimensions as well as the thickness of left posterior wall and of interventricular septum showed no statistically significant influence of H either at rest or during exercise. Stroke volume and cardiac output were always higher on H-day, which could be attributed to a slight reduction in end-systolic volume with unaffected end-diastolic volume as well as to increased heart rates. Among the indices of systolic LV function the fractions of thickening in the left ventricular posterior wall and interventricular septum showed no differences between H and N at rest or during exercise. However, fibre shortening, ejection fraction and mean circumferential fibre shortening were increased on H-day on all occasions. The mitral-valve-Doppler ratio, the index of diastolic LV function, was decreased with H at rest, showed a more pronounced reduction during exercise and was still lower in 6th min of recovery compared to N-day. It was concluded that with acute hypoxia of the severity applied in this study left ventricular systolic function in our healthy subjects showed a pronounced improvement and left ventricular diastolic function was reduced, both at rest and with exercise.     

基于超声的多模式功能化对比剂研究进展

超声对比剂的使用使得超声诊断更加准确,扩大了超声成像的应用范围。但单一影像技术难以满足肿瘤等重大疾病临床诊断和治疗的需求。因此开发以超声对比剂为核心,具有多模式成像功能,或同时兼备肿瘤诊断和治疗功能的多模式功能化对比剂是目前的一大研究热点。多模式成像的结合可以实现优势互补,诊断和治疗功能的结合为使得肿瘤等重大疾病的解决提供了新理念和新希望,具有重要意义。本文就基于超声的多模式功能化对比剂进行综述。     

心肌造影负荷超声心动图评价存活心肌的临床研究

目的:研究心肌造影负荷超声心动图(MCSE)定量心肌血流判断存活心肌的可行性与可靠性。方法:对20例冠心病患者行持续静脉滴注法MCSE,按1:4的比例于收缩末期触发的方式提取图像,采集图像后脱机分析及彩色编码。计算灌注正常区域和灌注缺损区域的A.β值,根据A.β值确定心肌存活与否,将判定结果正电子断层显像(PET)进行对照。结果:17例病人(85%)获得满意图像,灌注正常区和灌注缺损区的A.β值分别为59.32±11.54和5.69±1.78;灌注正常区在Dob 5μg、10μg时的A.β均值分别为69.57±8.13和76.65±13.61,且均高于静息时A.β值,与PET判定坏死的心肌节段一致。结论:MCSE能从血流定量水平判断存活心肌。     

Overview of experimental studies of biological effects of medical ultrasound caused by gas body activation and inertial cavitation

Ultrasound exposure can induce bioeffects in mammalian tissue by the nonthermal mechanism of gas body activation. Pre-existing bodies of gas may be activated even at low-pressure amplitudes. At higher-pressure amplitudes, violent cavitation activity with inertial collapse of microbubbles can be generated from latent nucleation sites or from the destabilization of gas bodies. Mechanical perturbation at the activation sites leads to biological effects on nearby cells and structures. Shockwave lithotripsy was the first medical ultrasound application for which significant cavitational bioeffects were demonstrated in mammalian tissues, including hemorrhage and injury in the kidney. Lithotripter shockwaves can also cause hemorrhage in lung and intestine by activation of pre-existing gas bodies in these tissues. Modern diagnostic ultrasound equipment develops pressure amplitudes sufficient for inertial cavitation, but the living body normally lacks suitable cavitation nuclei. Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are suspensions of microscopic gas bodies created to enhance the echogenicity of blood. Ultrasound contrast agent gas bodies also provide nuclei for inertial cavitation. Bioeffects from contrast-aided diagnostic ultrasound depend on pressure amplitude, UCA dose, dosage delivery method and image timing parameters. Microvascular leakage, capillary rupture, cardiomyocyte killing, inflammatory cell infiltration, and premature ventricular contractions have been reported for myocardial contrast echocardiography with clinical ultrasound machines and clinically relevant agent doses in laboratory animals. Similar bioeffects have been reported in intestine, skeletal muscle, fat, lymph nodes and kidney. These microscale bioeffects could be induced unknowingly in diagnostic examinations; however, the medical significance of bioeffects of diagnostic ultrasound with contrast agents is not yet fully understood in relation to the clinical setting.     

Three-dimensional echocardiography for left ventricular quantification: fundamental validation and clinical applications

One of the earliest applications of clinical echocardiography is evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function and size. Accurate, reproducible and quantitative evaluation of LV function and size is vital for diagnosis, treatment and prediction of prognosis of heart disease. Early three-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic techniques showed better reproducibility than two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography and narrower limits of agreement for assessment of LV function and size in comparison to reference methods, mostly cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, but acquisition methods were cumbersome and a lack of user-friendly analysis software initially precluded widespread use. Through the advent of matrix transducers enabling real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and improvements in analysis software featuring semi-automated volumetric analysis, 3D echocardiography evolved into a simple and fast imaging modality for everyday clinical use. 3DE provides the possibility to evaluate the entire LV in three spatial dimensions during the complete cardiac cycle, offering a more accurate and complete quantitative evaluation the LV. Improved efficiency in acquisition and analysis may provide clinicians with important diagnostic information within minutes. The current article reviews the methodology and application of 3DE for quantitative evaluation of the LV, provides the scientific evidence for its current clinical use, and discusses its current limitations and potential future directions.     

Study on the characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and its utility in assessing the microvessel density in ovarian tumors or tumor-like lesions

Angiogenesis is a critical factor in tumor growth and metastasis, and microvessel density (MVD) was an important parameter for assessing vessels in tumors. However, radiologic assessment of tumor vascularity is not yet well established. In our study, we aimed at investigating the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in exploring the vascularity of the ovarian tumors or tumor-like lesions to assess the relationship between the parameters of the peak intensity (PI) and area under curve (AUC) on CEUS and MVD in ovarian masses. Compared to the contrast-enhanced ultrasound technique, conventional ultrasound shows limitation in differentiating benign and malignant ovarian tumors. The former is promising in improving the sensitivity of detecting small vessels and blood flow in ovarian tumors. Our results showed clear differences in enhancement patterns between benign and malignant ovary tumors or tumor-like lesions. The PI and AUC in the malignant tumors were significantly higher than those in the benign tumors or tumor-like lesions (p=0.001 and =0.01, respectively). The MVD was 43.1 ± 20.4 in the benign tumors or tumor-like lesions and was 65.3 ± 22.3 in the malignant ones (p= 0.01). In both the benign and malignant groups, the PI and AUC were correlated significantly with the MVD (r=0.595, p = 0.001; r =0.533, p = 0.003, respectively). The PI and AUC in CEUS can reflect the MVD in ovarin tumors. The PI and AUC of the ovarian masses in the contrast transvaginal sonography show significant correlation with the angiogenesis and may help in assessing tumor vascularity in ovarian masses.     

History of echocardiography in the Netherlands: 30 years of education and clinical applications

The development of ultrasound has created great opportunities for diagnostic cardiac imaging. For more than 30 years, echocardiography has been the most important and cost-effective diagnostic imaging modality in clinical cardiology. Many developments originated in the Netherlands, including the very first practical real-time crosssectional imaging of the moving heart with a linear array. Milestones include the first portable echo apparatus, early versions of echo catheters and transoesophageal echocardiography probes as well as many clinical ‘firsts’ with reference to the more than 100 Dutch dissertations related to echocardiography. The future of echocardiography promises to be as productive and exciting as it has been in the previous three decades, including threedimensional echocardiography, myocardial perfusion echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking. New potential therapeutic applications are upcoming. In this article, the advances of echocardiography in the Netherlands are described, in the past and during 30 years of education, as was recently presented by three Dutch pioneers during the ‘Echomiddagen 2006-2007’ organised by the CVOI. (Neth Heart J 2008;16: 16-20.)     

经胸超声心动图与经胸右心声学造影诊断卵圆孔未闭所致偏头痛及右向左分流的比较

摘要 目的：探讨经胸超声心动图（TTE）与经胸右心声学造影（c-TTE）诊断卵圆孔未闭（PFO）所致偏头痛以及右向左分流（RLS）的价值。方法：选择82例疑似PFO所致的偏头痛患者,所有患者均接受TTE和c-TTE检查,以数字减影血管造影（DSA）结果为金标准,采用Kappa系数检验TTE、c-TTE与DSA检查结果的一致性,采用四格表法和受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析TTE、c-TTE诊断PFO所致偏头痛及RLS的效能。结果：82例偏头痛患者中,经DSA检查确诊60例PFO。TTE共检出42例PFO,与DSA诊断结果一致性一般（Kappa=0.294,P＜0.05）;c-TTE共检出57例PFO,与DSA诊断结果一致性很强（Kappa=0.879,P＜0.05）。TTE共检出36例RLS,与DSA诊断结果一致性一般（Kappa=0.260,P＜0.05）;c-TTE共检出53例RLS,与DSA诊断结果一致性较强（Kappa=0.706,P＜0.05）。与TTE相比,c-TTE诊断PFO的灵敏度、特异度、准确度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值均更高（Z=4.889,P＜0.05）。与TTE相比,c-TTE诊断RLS的灵敏度、特异度、准确度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值均更高（Z=4.412,P＜0.05）。结论：相对于TTE,c-TTE可更加灵敏、准确地诊断PFO及RLS分级,在PFO所致偏头痛患者中具有更高的诊断价值。     

高强度聚焦超声治疗子宫肌瘤300例的临床疗效分析

目的：探讨高强度聚焦超声（high intensity focused ultrasound,HIFU）治疗子宫肌瘤的临床疗效及其安全性。方法：回顾性分析我院2007年1月～2011年1月300例采用高强度聚焦超声治疗的子宫肌瘤患者的临床资料,比较分析治疗前后瘤体大小、病灶内部回声、临床症状改善情况、血流的变化及超声造影图像改变。结果：HIFU治疗后1、3、6及12个月,瘤体体积均较治疗前显著缩小（P〈0.05）,显效率80.33%（241例）,有效率19.33%（58例）,无效率0.33%（1例）,肌瘤所致的临床症状减轻或消失,瘤体内部回声增强,彩色血流均消失,超声造影瘤体内无灌注。治疗期间,患者出现治疗部位疼痛、骶尾部酸胀及肛门坠胀,治疗结束时症状消失;治疗过程中出现腿部疼痛、麻木症状,经过重新定位后症状消失,少数出现阴道少量流血,给予止血药;治疗后出现血尿,经大量喝水排尿后消失。结论：HIFU治疗子宫肌瘤是安全有效的,在妇科领域便于推广。     

The relation between myocardial blush grade and myocardial contrast echocardiography: which one is a better predictor of myocardial damage?

Background. Myocardial blush grade (MBG) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) are both indices for myocardial perfusion in patients with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to compare MBG with MCE in the infarct-related artery segment for assessing infarct size in patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods. 43 patients underwent successful (postprocedural TIMI flow 3) primary PCI for STEMI. MBG was assessed at the end of the PCI procedure and MCE was assessed 1.7±1.8 days after PCI. Enzymatic infarct size was estimated by measurementof enzyme activities by using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as the referenceenzyme. Cumulative enzyme release (LDHQ₄₈) from at least five serial measurements up to 48 hours after symptom onset was calculated. Also peak creatine kinase, CK-MB and peak LDH were measured.Results. MBG 0/1, 2 and 3 were observed in 14, 12 and 17 patients, respectively, and was compared with tertiles of MCE. We found a parallel correlation between both MBG and MCE and LDHQ₄₈. However, there was no correlation between MCE and MBG. Patients with both normal MCE and a normal MBG had least myocardial damage and those with both impaired MCE and an impaired MBG had most myocardial damage.Conclusion. Both MBG and MCE are good predictors of infarct size in STEMI patients treated with PCI. However, these markers are not mutually related, possibly due to time-related changes in myocardial perfusion. Combining these two markers may yield a more accurate prediction of final myocardial damage. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:25-30.)     

三维超声心脏图像的模糊聚类分割

采用三维超声心动图对小儿先天性心脏病进行诊断与治疗能达到比传统二维超声心动图更直观的效果。然而由于超声图像质量较差,三维超声心动图的可视化效果往往无法达到医生的要求。本文对三维超声心脏图像进行分割,以改进超声图像的可视化效果,并为参数提取等提供基础。首先采用快速的模糊c均值聚类得到初始分割结果;然后利用图像多分辨率技术进行修正;接着结合图像的对比度进行进一步的分割;最后,把处理后的图像用绘制的方法显示出来。本文的结果对超声图像的可视化效果有一定的改善.     

四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的原因分析

目的:调查与分析四维子宫输卵管超声造影假阳性与假阴性的原因.方法:选择2015年6月到2019年8月在本院妇产科临床初步诊断为输卵管不孕症患者125例,所有患者都给予X线子宫输卵管碘油造影(Hysterosalp ingography,HSG)与四维子宫输卵管超声造影,记录诊断效果、不良反应,判断假阳性与假阴性的发生原...