Commentary on “Application of Apical Myocardial Perfusion Quantitative
Analysis by Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound utilizing High-Frequency Linear
Probe”
Abstract
We are grateful to the authors for sharing the results of this very
precise and detailed analysis of the diagnostic performance of apical
myocardial perfusion by combining high-frequency linear probe and
contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the detection of left anterior
descending artery (LAD) stenosis. there are many imaging modalities to
assess coronary artery stenosis. For example, invasive coronary
angiography, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), myocardial
nuclear perfusion imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)[1], it’s
crucial to choose the most appropriate imaging modality for diagnosis,
treatment and procedural planning. In previous studies, the quantitative
analysis of myocardial perfusion by CEUS were based on 17-segment model
to assess the stenosis of the relevant vessels[2], it is relatively
cumbersome to perform. Since most of the apical LV is supplied by LAD,
the authors quantitative analysis of myocardial blood flow in the apical
LV to evaluate the stenosis of the LAD vessels by combining
high-frequency linear probe and CEUS, overcoming insufficient near-field
resolution and artifacts by the conventional phased-array probe. The
authors found that it is feasible and convenient to to assess apical
perfusion to reflect LAD stenosis by combining high-frequency linear
probe and CEUS with high Area under the curve of β, T, A, and MBF
(0.880, 0.881, 0.761, and 0.880 respectively). And the best cut-off of
β, T, A, and MBF were 10.32, 3.28, 9.39, and 4.99 respectively. What is
more, compared with phased-array probe, the quantitative analysis of
high-frequency linear probe is of high reproducibility and could get
good curve fitting