[Value of 2-D echocardiography in the detection of stress-induced wall-motion abnormalities in coronary heart disease--a comparison with biplane cineventriculography].

To determine the accuracy of echocardiography in assessment of exercise-induced wall motion abnormalities, the results of stress-echocardiography were compared with exercise-cineventriculography. In 56 consecutive patients biplane cineventriculography at rest and immediately after supine bicycle exercise was performed. Cross-sectional echocardiography was obtained using the apical 2- and 4-chamber view for LV imaging under identical exercise conditions. In 6 of the 56 patients 2-D echo, in 8 patients LV-angio, and in 2 patients both methods were of inadequate quality during exercise. Thus, in 40 patients (34 patients had coronary artery disease) local wall motion of 360 wall segments was analysed. 49 segments (14%) of 24 patients showed exercise-induced ischemic wall motion abnormalities during cineventriculography. Only 24 of these 49 asynergics (49%) were also detected by 2-D-echo. Using cross-sectional echocardiography, ischemia related wall motion abnormalities were best detected laterally and septaly, whereas apical asynergies were identified in 3 of 12 segments only. Thus, the clinical value of exercise 2-D echo as a screening method in patients suspected to have coronary artery disease is limited and restricted to patients with excellent visualization of the left ventricular endocardium.