Measurement of coronary flow velocity reserve in the posterior descending coronary artery by contrast-enhanced transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Background: Although the measurement of coronary flow velocity (CFV) reserve (CFVR) in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography has been established, its success rate in the posterior descending coronary artery (PD) is still limited.

Objective: This study reports the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of measuring CFVR in the PD by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography.

Methods: CFVR in both the distal LAD and the PD was measured in 151 consecutive patients before coronary angiography.