Assessment of Adenosine-induced Coronary Steal in the Setting of Coronary Occlusion Based on the Extent of Opacification Defects by Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography

Abstract

The authors examined the ability of real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) to assess adenosine-induced coronary steal in the setting of coronary artery occlusion. The left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was occluded in 8 open-chest dogs. Real-time MCE was performed during LAD occlusion, and the extent of opacification defects from MCE was measured without and with adenosine infusion. Microsphere-derived myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured in the LAD and left circumflex (LCx) coronary artery beds, and the LAD/LCx ratio of MBF was calculated. The LAD/LCx ratio of MBF decreased in response to adenosine administration (without adenosine: 0.66, with adenosine: 0.43, p < 0.01). The extent of opacification defects from MCE increased in response to adenosine administration (without adenosine: 18%, with adenosine: 22%, p < 0.01). Thus, real-time MCE allows for the detection of adenosine-induced coronary steal as changes in the extent of opacification defects in the setting of occlusion of 1 coronary artery accompanying another normally patent coronary artery.