Reproducibility of myocardial ultrasonic backscatter parameters in man

Tissue characterization of myocardium by means of ultrasound waves backscattered from the heart has been used to differentiate pathologic properties of the heart. Cardiomyopathy, hypertrophy, and ischemia modulate the interactions between ultrasound and myocardial tissue that can be detected and used as disease markers in the clinical management of patients. The authors assess the reproducibility of parameters computed from ultrasound signals backscattered from ischemic myocardium. They tested the reproducibility in the parameters used to differentiate normal from abnormal behavior in order to assess the error inherent in these parameters. Reversible ischemia induces reversible changes in the four backscatter parameters considered. There is excellent reproducibility in the backscatter parameters considered