Contrast echocardiography is an important technique that .,/ can be used to examine the cardiac cavity, vascular tructure, intracardiac shunt, and myocardial microcirculation. uses gasfilled microbubbles and various imaging techiques. The properties of microbubbles and their interaction Ath ultrasound are important in ultrasoundenhanced conast imaging. This article will describe microbubbie physics id new ultrasound techniques that are necessary to under--and the basics of contrast echocardiography. The utility of )ntrast echocardiography in various clinical scenarios will be so described.
Echocardiography* ; Microbubbles ; Microcirculation ; Myocardium ; Ultrasonography

We described for the first time the contrast enhancement of a giant fibrovascular esophageal polyp using ultrasound contrast agent, Sonovue® (Bracco, Milan, Italy) during echoendoscopy. Fine Doppler was unsuccessful in showing vascularization due to the mobile characteristic of the tumor. In contrast, via Sonovue®, tissue microcirculation was highlighted inside the entire head of the polyp, leading to better appreciate the risk of bleeding related to its resection. In a second part, we showed the feasibility of classic polypectomy for this giant polyp (5×5 cm) without complication and results of control endoscopy at 3 months. The present case is summarized in a video.
Endoscopy ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Microcirculation ; Polyps ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Human ; Liver/*blood supply/ultrasonography ; Liver Cirrhosis/*pathology ; Microcirculation/ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Endothelium, Vascular/*ultrasonography ; Human ; Liver/*blood supply ; Liver Diseases/*pathology ; Microcirculation/ultrasonography ; Rats

Ultrasonographic Doppler techniques have improved greatly over the years, allowing more sophisticated evaluation of breast tumor vascularity. Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with second-generation contrast agents are two representative up-to-date techniques. SMI is a sensitive Doppler technique that adopts an intelligent filter system to separate low-flow signals from artifacts. With the development of second-generation contrast agents, CEUS has also emerged as a useful Doppler technique for evaluating tumor microcirculation. Both techniques can improve the diagnostic performance of gray-scale ultrasonography by providing vascular information useful not only for the morphologic assessment of microvessels, but also for the quantitative analysis of perfusion. In this review, we explain the imaging principles and previous research underlying these two vascular techniques, and describe our clinical experiences.
Artifacts ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Contrast Media ; Microcirculation ; Microvessels ; Perfusion ; Ultrasonography* ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is widely used to evaluate tumor microcirculation, which is useful in the differential diagnosis between benignity and malignancy. In the last 10 years, the applicability of CEUS to thyroid nodules has greatly improved due to technological refinements and the development of second-generation contrast agents. In this review, we summarize the applications of CEUS for thyroid nodules, focusing on the imaging findings of malignant and benign nodules in the existing literature and the use of those findings to predict malignancies, with an additional brief description of the utilization of CEUS for other thyroid-related diseases.
Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Microcirculation ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule* ; Ultrasonography*

This study was done to evaluate changes of microvascular function under cold stimulation by measuring coronary flow velocities (CFVs) in vasospastic angina (VA) patients using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE). 14 patients with VA and 15 healthy controls were included. CFVs were measured at the distal left anterior descending coronary artery by TTDE at baseline and under cold stimulation. Hyperemia was induced by intravenous adenosine infusion (140 microgram/kg/min). At baseline, CFVs and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were not different between controls and VA patients. Under cold stimulation, the degree of increment of CFV with adenosine was lower in VA patients than in controls. Comparing baseline with cold stimulation, coronary flow reserve (CFR) increased (3.1 +/-0.7 to 3.8 +/-1.0, p=0.06) in controls. In contrast, in VA patients, CFR was decreased (2.8 +/-0.9 to 2.6 +/-0.7, p=0.05) and coronary vascular resistance index markedly increased (0.35 to 0.43, p=0.01). Throughout the study, no patient experienced chest pain or ECG changes. In VA patients, CFR was preserved at baseline, but coronary blood flow increase in response to cold stimulation was blunted and CFR was decreased. These findings suggest that endothelial dependent vasodilation is impaired at the coronary microvascular and the epicardial artery level in VA under cold stimulation.
Adult ; Aged ; Angina Pectoris/*physiopathology/ultrasonography ; Cold ; *Coronary Circulation ; *Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microcirculation/physiopathology ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Qingling Dingxuan Decoction (QDD) on vertigo caused by insufficient blood-supply of ventebrobasilar artery (IBVA).

METHODSThirty-nine patients were divided into the flunarizine group (n=19) and the QDD group (n=20) treated with respective medicine on the base of routine treatment with Chinese and Western medicine. The clinical efficacy and recurrent rate were observed and compared.

RESULTSCompared with those in the flunarizine group, clinical curative effect was better, recurrent rate lower, symptom score higher, hemorheological parameters and transcranial doppler indexes were improved more significant in the QDD group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQDD had obvious therapeutic effect on IBVA. Improvement of microcirculation and reduction of blood viscosity may be one of the therapeutical mechanisms.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hemorheology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; Vertigo ; drug therapy ; etiology