Stress echocardiography: New techniques

Stress echocardiography is frequently used to evaluate coronary artery disease, and also in quantitative assessment of right and left ventricular function or cardiac valve integrity in patients with cardiomyopathy or during chemotherapy. Various new ultrasound techniques in stress echocardiography are now playing a significant role in this important area of cardiological diagnostics. New methods of echocardiographic signal processing have been developed to provide more quantitative and reproducible information on cardiac function during stress. The most important are: (1) raw data analysis techniques for endocardial border detection (acoustic quantification, CK = colour kinesis), (2) tissue Doppler imaging for myocardial velocity analysis and (3) transpulmonary contrast agents (Albunex, Laevovist, BY 963) for improving endocardial border delineation and for future analysis of myocardial perfusion. Like all new techniques, they must first be subjected to comprehensive scientific assessment, and appropriate training should be given, taking into account physical and physiological limits. These limits will constantly be redefined as echocardiographic techniques continue to change presenting new challenges for the further development of ultrasound technology. In this review, the improved new techniques will be discussed in detail.