Detection of coronary artery disease with exercise two-dimensional echocardiography. Description of a clinically applicable method and comparison with radionuclide ventriculography.

Abstract

Two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) was performed in 73 patients evaluated for coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 4 normal volunteers before and immediately after a maximal treadmill exercise test. Diagnostic images were obtained from the apical and parasternal windows. In 17 patients with normal coronary arteriograms, ejection fraction (EF) increased from 66 .+-. 9% (.+-. SD) at rest to 73 .+-. 8% after exercise (P < 0.001), while in 56 patients with proved CAD, EF fell from 56 .+-. 13% at rest to 53 .+-. 16% after exercise (P < 0.01). The sensitivity of postexercise 2-D echo for detecting CAD (based on abnormal EF response and/or regional dyssynergy) was 91% (51 of 56 patients) and the specificity was 88% (15 of 17). Sensitivity for 1-, 2- and 3-vessel disease was 64% (7 of 11), 95% (20 of 21) and 100%, respectively. Patients with multivessel disease showed a significant fall in a wall motion score index, from 0.79 .+-. 0.25 to 0.63 .+-. 0.26. Exercise radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) was also performed in 41 of the subjectes (17 normals and 24 CAD patients) on a bicycle ergometer. The overall sensitivity of 2-D echo in this subgroup was 92%, compared with 71% for RNV. The sensitivity of 2-D echo for 1-vessel disesae (n = 4) was 50%, that for 2-vessel disease (n = 12) was 100% and that for 3-vessel disease (n = 12) was 100%. Respective values for RNV were 0, 80 and 90%. The specificity of 2-D echo was 88% and that of RNV was 82%. A significantly higher peak heart rate response was observed on the treadmill than on the bicycle ergometer in both CAD patients and normal subjects. Apparently, postexercise 2-D echo is a clinically applicable technique for the diagnosis and evaluation of CAD patients and compares favorably with exercise RNV.