Usefulness of myocardial perfusion echocardiography to identify obstructive coronary artery disease in patients with abnormal ventricular septal motion

Twenty-three patients who had septal wall motion abnormalities and who underwent angiography within 2 weeks were evaluated by myocardial perfusion echocardiography. Mean perfusion score (plateau video intensity times the wash-in rate) was lower in segments that were supplied by obstructed coronary arteries in real time (7.5 vs 22.6 dB/s, p <0.005) and with end-systolic triggering (8.6 vs 20.9 dB/s, p <0.001). Lower mean septal perfusion scores (<12 dB/s) were seen in 14 of 16 patients who had obstructive septal coronary artery disease, and normal mean septal perfusion scores were seen in 6 of 7 patients who did not have obstructive septal coronary artery disease.