Preliminary clinical experience in cardiology with sonazoid

Sonazoid (formerly NC100100) is a new ultrasound contrast agent for intravenous injection developed by Nycomed-Amersham. It consists of perfluorocarbon microbubbles that are stabilized with a surfactant and are within a well-defined size range (median diameter ∼3 μm). Due to the low diffusibility and blood solubility of the gas, the controlled size distribution of the microbubbles, and the flexibility of the shell, Sonazoid is a free-flowing tracer capable of crossing the pulmonary capillary bed after peripheral intravenous injection. It is stable enough for the duration of the ultrasound examination and provides echo enhancement useful for clinical requirements. The preliminary clinical experience in cardiology indications, including its use in reducing the frequency of inadequate echocardiographic studies in patients with suboptimal echocardiograms, and its use as a myocardial perfusion agent in the setting of acute myocardial ischemia is briefly discussed.