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
- mitral valve
- magnetic resonance imaging
- acute myocardial infarction
- ultrasound guided
- contrast enhanced ultrasound
- high resolution
- pulmonary hypertension
- percutaneous coronary intervention
- coronary artery
- cardiovascular events
- palliative care
- coronary artery bypass grafting
- atrial fibrillation
- cardiovascular disease
- current status
- magnetic resonance
- mass spectrometry
- case control
- aortic valve
- left atrial appendage