From its inception as a two-dimensional snapshot of the beating heart, echocardiography has become an indelible part of cardiovascular diagnostics. The integration of ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs) marks a pivotal transition, enhancing its diagnostic acumen beyond myocardial perfusion. These agents have refined echocardiography's capacity to visualize complex cardiac anatomy and pathology with unprecedented clarity, especially in non-coronary artery disease contexts. UEAs aid in detailed assessments of myocardial viability, endocardial border delineation in left ventricular opacification, and identification of intracardiac masses. Recent innovations in UEAs, accompanied by advancements in echocardiographic technology, offer clinicians a more nuanced view of cardiac function and blood flow dynamics. This review explores recent developments in these applications and future contemplated studies.
Keyphrases
- left ventricular
- blood flow
- coronary artery disease
- cardiac resynchronization therapy
- aortic stenosis
- heart failure
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- left atrial
- acute myocardial infarction
- magnetic resonance imaging
- mitral valve
- ultrasound guided
- contrast enhanced ultrasound
- high resolution
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- palliative care
- coronary artery bypass grafting
- computed tomography
- cardiovascular events
- current status
- contrast enhanced
- fine needle aspiration
- magnetic resonance
- mass spectrometry
- ejection fraction
- acute coronary syndrome
- fluorescence imaging