The first edition of this definitive text ran to 24 chapters. The second edition, reflecting the explosive growth of interest in echo-enhancement, contains 44. The first section deals with some of the most important emerging issues and technologies and covers harmonic imaging, the use of echo-enhancers to provide quantitative information, and the application of enhanced power Doppler to tissue imaging. The second, on contrast echocardiography, explores the use of echo-enhancement during transesophageal imaging. One chapter describes the use of contrast-enhancement transesophageal...

The opacification of the left ventricle by echo cardiographic contrast agents (echoventriculography) represents an alternative to cineventriculography, as determinations of left ventricular volume and ejection fraction are accurate and highly reproducible, when methods like color superposition and statist ical imaging techniques are used in order to improve the outlining of the cavity and endocardial border. Detection of perfusion defects is possible 40]. The enhancement of myocardial contrast during the perfusion phase after injection into the left ventricle or the aorta further improves...