Stress echocardiography from 1979 to present.

Stress echocardiography was initially developed in 1979 and has seen substantial success in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. It has proven applicable to clinical questions of diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up. It has been heavily dependent on technologic advancements, initially digital capturing for side-by-side visualization and, more recently, developments in detailed methods of evaluating myocardial mechanics and contrast echocardiography for perfusion.