Noninvasive assessment of myocardial perfusion: preliminary results in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Several technical details relating to both imaging instrumentation and contrast agents that require consideration to obtain an appropriate myocardial opacification by intravenous contrast media injection are clarified. Preliminary data show that intermittent harmonic angiographic imaging with intravenous pump infusion of Levovist provides information on the no-reflow phenomenon similar to that obtained with intracoronary contrast echocardiography.