Myocardial Viability Assessment: Comparison between Resting Two Dimensional Visual Assessment of Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography and Strain Rate Imaging

Abstract

Background: Patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction are increasingly referred for the assessment of myocardial viability. The issue of identifying dysfunctional but viable myocardium has crucial clinical importance, since revascularization increases survival only in patients with viable myocardial tissue. The aim of this study was to compare resting two-dimensional visual assessment of myocardial viability with dobutamine stress echocardiography and strain rate imaging. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study , thirty-two consecutive patients (age: 55.3 ± 22.7, 4 females) with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction were referred for myocardial viability assessment. Viability was evaluated using resting two-dimensional echocardiograms, dobutamine stress echocardiography and strain rate imaging. Viability was defined by the absence of brightness and thinning (