Incremental value of myocardial contrast echocardiography for the prediction of recovery of function in dobutamine nonresponsive myocardium early after acute myocardial infarction

We hypothesized that the presence of microvascular integrity, detected by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) in dobutamine nonresponsive segments, may enhance identification of recovery of function, which is a surrogate marker of myocardial viability. Accordingly, 96 patients underwent dobutamine echocardiography (DE) and intravenous MCE on the same day, 4.6 +/- 1.5 days after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recovery of function of akinetic segments was assessed at 3 months after AMI. Of 387 akinetic segments, 102 (26%) recovered function during follow-up. Sensitivities and specificities of MCE, DE, and the combination of DE and MCE in dobutamine nonresponsive segments were 58%, 59%, and 79%, respectively (p <0.001, compared with MCE and DE) and 76%, 84%, and 69%, respectively (p <0.05 compared with DE) for predicting recovery of function. In anterior AMI, the positive and negative predictive values of MCE, DE, and the combination of DE and MCE were 47% and 88%, 57% and 89%, and 49% and 95%, respectively. Multivariate analysis using clinical characteristics, electrocardiography, biochemical factors, MCE, and DE showed that the combination of DE and MCE in dobutamine nonresponsive segments (p <0.00001) and Q-wave AMI (p = 0.002) were the only independent predictors of recovery of function. Thus, for optimum prediction of recovery of function after AMI, a combination of DE and MCE in dobutamine nonresponsive segments may be utilized.