What is the diagnostic accuracy of exercise and pharmacological stress echocardiography?
The diagnostic accuracy of exercise and pharmacological stress echocardiography has been studied extensively in multiple meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and large, multicenter, observational registries. The uncorrected diagnostic sensitivity ranges from 70% to 85% for exercise and 85% to 90% for pharmacological stress echocardiography. The uncorrected diagnostic specificity ranges from 77% to 89% and 79% to 90% for exercise and pharmacological stress echocardiography, respectively. The use of intravenous ultrasound contrast agents can improve endocardial border delineation and can result in improved diagnostic accuracy. Myocardial contrast echocardiography also has been examined for determination of rest and stress myocardial perfusion, with the results showing comparability to myocardial perfusion SPECT findings in small patient series.