Echocardiographic assessment of coronary microvascular dysfunction: Basic concepts, technical aspects, and clinical settings
Andreina Carbone, Antonello D’Andrea, Simona Sperlongano, Ercole Tagliamonte, Giulia Elena Mandoli, Ciro Santoro, Vincenzo Evola, Francesco Bandera, Doralisa Morrone, Alessandro Malagoli, Flavio D’Ascenzi, Eduardo Bossone, Matteo Cameli, Echocardiography study group of the Italian Society of Cardiology
Abstract
Coronary flow reserve is the capacity of the coronary circulation to augment the blood flow in response an increase in myocardial metabolic demands and has a powerful prognostic significance in different clinical situations. It might assess with invasive and noninvasive technique. Transthoracic echocardiography Doppler is an emerging diagnostic technique, noninvasive, highly feasible, safe for patient and physician, without radiation, and able to detect macrovascular and microvascular anomalies in the coronary circulation. This review aims to describe the benefit and limits of echocardiographic assessment of coronary flow reserve.