Clinical applications of contrast echocardiography.

Advances in the engineering of transpulmonary ultrasound contrast agents have greatly enriched contemporary two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, a technique that has became the most commonly employed imaging tool in cardiology. The currently approved application of contrast echocardiography is far left ventricular opacification (LVO) and enhanced endocardial border delineation (EBD) in patients with sub-optimal echocardiograms. In addition, the use of contrast echocardiography in clinical practice allows blood-flaw assessment, identification of geometric distortions (such as an aneurysm or a pseudoaneurysm), and differentiation of various mass formations (such as thrombus, tumor, or simple trabeculation). Ongoing scientific work paints to the potential of contrast echocardiography in assessing myocardial perfusion and in using contrast agents in therapeutic maneuvers. The use of modern contrast agents in echocardiography can shorten examination time, improve diagnostic accuracy, eliminate unnecessary tests, and lower medical costs. In fact, qualitative or quantitative assessment of cardiac function is difficult to achieve without the improved visualization provided by contrast enhancement.