Contrast echocardiography. Basic principles and clinical applications

: Recent advances in ultrasound technology and intravenous contrast agents have made it possible for contrast echocardiography to move from bench to bedside. Ultrasound contrast agents enhance endocardial border delineation and the Doppler signal, which may improve the diagnostic accuracy of echocardiography in selected patients. The most exciting feature of contrast echocardiography is its capability to achieve a quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion, and the method may thus provide a range of clinical applications in patients with ischaemic heart disease.