Multiplane Transesophageal Echocardiography with Dobutamine in Patients with Biventricular Inferior Myocardial Infarction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the alterations of ventricular wall movement in patients with acute posteroinferior myocardial infarction with extension to right cavities with multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), as well as the utility of dobutamine with this technique to analyze myocardial viability. Nine men with a mean age of 51 years fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Myocardial TEE was performed in all the men 72 hours after the acute event with long- and short-axis transgastric images of both ventricles under basal conditions and with dobutamine infusions of 5 and 10 µg/kg per minute. Results were compared with myocardial perfusion findings obtained with Tc-99m Sestamibi SPECT. Left ventricular myocardial viability was demonstrated in 28 of 45 altered segments with dobutamine stress myocardial TEE and Tc-99m Sestamibi SPECT. Right ventricular myocardial viability was identified in 27 of 30 altered segments with dobutamine stress myocardial TEE in transgastric short and long axes, and with Tc-99m Sestamibi SPECT in 23 of 25 segments only in short-axis images. Multiplane TEE provided excellent image resolution and better definition of endocardial and epicardial borders, which facilitated detailed evaluation of ventricular segmental wall movement. Infusion of low doses of dobutamine made it possible to identify viable tissue in both ventricles, and results were comparable to those of nuclear medicine.