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P F Fazzini

Publications and source records attributed to P F Fazzini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99m-teboroxime: its feasibility and the evaluation of its diagnostic reliability. A comparison with thallium-201 and coronary angiography].

BACKGROUND: Tc-99m-teboroxime is a new tracer for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Its more remarkable features are the high myocardial extraction fraction, which is well correlated with the coronary blood flow, and the extremely rapid myocardial washout. This makes it necessary to complete the image collection shortly after the injection; on the other hand, repeated scans can be easily performed by renewed Tc-99m-teboroxime administrations. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility of Tc-99m-teboroxime imaging and to evaluate its accuracy by comparing it with thallium-201 (TI-201) scintigraphy and coronary angiography. METHODS: The patient population included 16 male patients (mean age 57.8 +/- 6.3 years) affected by suspect effort angina and/or with signs of exercise-induced ischemia; 12 of them had history of previous myocardial infarction. They underwent effort TI-201 and Tc-99m-teboroxime myocardial scintigraphy within 48 hours; left heart catheterization and coronary angiography were performed within 5 days. Scintigraphic images were collected in 3 planar views; each projection was divided in 3 segments, with the apical one shared by all views, for a total of 7 segments/study. Tracer uptake was qualitatively assessed and graduated according to a scoring scheme (from 0 = normal through 4 = absent uptake). RESULTS: Tc-99m-teboroxime scans could be accomplished without major problems in all subjects. The image quality was comparable to TI-201 in 8 patients and poorer in the remaining 8. Coronary angiography showed 50% obstructions in 15 patients; of them 1 subject had a normal scintigraphic pattern with both TI-201 and Tc-99m-teboroxime. The presence of previous infarction was recognized by both tracers in the 12 patients with infarct history. The number of abnormal segments and the uptake score were not significantly different in the Tc-99m-teboroxime rest and in the TI-201 redistribution images (segments: 2.8 +/- 1.4 vs 2.8 +/- 1.6; score: 5.6 +/- 4.2 vs 6 +/- 4.5). The diagnosis of effort ischemia was made in 13 patients with Tc-99m-teboroxime and in 12 patients with TI-201. The number of abnormal segments in the exercise Tc-99m-teboroxime and TI-201 myocardial scintigraphy was not significantly different (3.3 +/- 1.3 vs 3.3 +/- 1.5); on the contrary the defect score was significantly higher with Tc-99m-teboroxime than with TI-201 (9.5 +/- 4.3 vs 8.4 +/- 4.6, p < 0.03). Therefore the ischemic score (exercise defect score minus rest defect score) of Tc-99m-teboroxime was significantly higher than that of TI-201 (3.9 +/- 2.8 vs 2.4 +/- 2.2, p < 0.02). The two tracers gave comparable results in terms of recognition of patients with one-vessel or multi-vessel coronary artery disease. CONCLUSIONS: Planar myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99m-teboroxime can be performed without major problems. In terms of clinical reliability the results are comparable to those of TI-201 scans. On the other hand, taking into account the poor image quality of Tc-99m-teboroxime scintigraphy, it is still impossible to predict its future role in the radionuclide imaging of coronary artery disease.

Adult

Comparison of tomographic and planar imaging for the evaluation of thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction using pre- and post-treatment myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-99m sestamibi.

Pre- and post-treatment myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-99m hexakis 2-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (Tc-99m sestamibi) was performed in patients who underwent thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction comparing planar imaging and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Twenty-one patients were injected with Tc-99m sestamibi before thrombolytic treatment. SPECT and planar imaging were acquired after completion of the treatment. The scintigraphy was repeated 5 days later in 20 subjects. Planar and SPECT studies were evaluated using an uptake score. Patients were divided according to the status of the infarct-related vessel (patent in 13 patients, group 1, and occluded in seven, group 2) and to the presence of functional recovery in serial echocardiographic controls (present in 10 patients, group A, and absent in 10, group B). The scintigraphic defect extent in the 5-day images correlated with the enzymatic infarct size: SPECT: r = 0.75, p less than 0.0002; planar: r = 0.68, p less than 0.002. The decrease of the uptake defects correlated with the reduction of the left ventricular wall asynergy (admission versus 1 month echocardiogram): SPECT: r = 0.92, p less than 0.000001; planar: r = 0.82, p less than 0.00001. The percent decrease of the uptake defects was significantly higher in patients in group 1 and group A compared with group 2 and, respectively, group B--SPECT: group 1: 51.4 +/- 27.7 versus group 2: 13.1 +/- 8.6, p less than 0.02; group A: 64.2 +/- 15.3 versus group B: 11.9 +/- 8.1, p less than 0.0002; planar group 1: 41 +/- 30.4 versus group 2: 7.7 +/- 6.2, p less than 0.05; group A: 52.5 +/- 24.3 versus group B: 6.1 +/- 6, p less than 0.0002. This study confirms the reliability of pre- and post-treatment myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99m sestamibi for evaluating the outcome of thrombolytic treatment in myocardial infarction. The results seems slightly more accurate using SPECT, but a simple three-view planar study also gives useful data.

Adult

Single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m hexakis 2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile in acute myocardial infarction before and after thrombolytic treatment: assessment of salvaged myocardium and prediction of late functional recovery.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with technetium-99m hexakis 2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile was investigated as a method to evaluate the results of intravenous thrombolytic treatment in 14 patients (11 men and 3 women) with acute myocardial infarction admitted to the coronary care unit within 4 h of the onset of symptoms. All patients received an injection of 740 MBq of the tracer before starting the thrombolytic therapy, and isonitrile tomography was performed 3 to 4 h later. The tomographic study was repeated 5 days after the acute event. The results of thrombolytic treatment were independently evaluated taking into account the clinical, electrocardiographic (ECG) and enzymatic data and the findings of left ventricular and coronary angiography. Furthermore, all patients were studied with two-dimensional echocardiography on admission, 5 days later and 1 month later. The site and extent of the perfusion defects on admission scintigraphy were consonant with the ECG and echocardiographic findings. A good correlation could be established between the 5 day scintigraphic estimate of infarct dimension and the enzymatic infarct size (r = 0.907, p less than 0.00002). The comparison between pre- and postthrombolytic treatment images enabled the identification of successful and unsuccessful reperfusion even in patients whose other noninvasive findings were inconclusive. Finally, the reduction in defect size predicted late functional improvement that was demonstrated by echocardiography performed 1 month later (r = 0.89, p less than 0.00005). The results of the study suggest the feasibility and the possible usefulness of isonitrile tomography in demonstrating the presence and size of myocardial damage and in assessing the extent of myocardial salvage after thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction.

Aged

[Ealuation of thrombolytic treatment of acute myocardial infarct using myocardial scintigraphy with Tc-99-MIBI. Immediate results and follow-up after one year].

The aim of the study was to investigate Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) with technetium-99m esakis-2-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (Tc-99m-MIBI) as a means of evaluating the results of intravenous thrombolytic treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction. In addition, the evolution of myocardial perfusion pattern was studied. The study group included 15 patients (12 males and 3 females, mean age 57 +/- 8 years) with acute myocardial infarction admitted to the coronary care unit within 4 hours of the onset of symptoms. All patients were injected with 740 MBq of Tc-99m-MIBI before starting the thrombolytic therapy (rt-PA 100 mg i.v. in 3 hours); SPECT was performed 3 to 6 hours later. The tomographic study was repeated 5 days later. Ten patients were re-examined using Tc-99m-MIBI SPECT one year after the acute event. Taking into account the clinical, electrocardiographic and enzymatic data and the findings of two-dimensional echocardiography performed both on the fifth day and after one month, patients were divided into two groups: group A (8 patients) with probably effective reperfusion, group B (7 patients) probably unaffected by therapy. The infarct related vessel was patent in all group A patients and in 2 of the 7 patients of group B. The percent decrease in the perfusion defect size between the first and second scintigraphic studies showed a significant difference between the two groups: group A 61.2 +/- 6.8, group B 4.7 +/- 2.4% (p less than 0.002). A significant difference was also found when the results of the admission scintigraphy were compared with those of the control 1 year after: group A 80.8 +/- 8.7%, group B 20.8 +/- 13.8% (p less than 0.02). The percent decrease in the perfusion defect size between the 5-day and 1-year images was also significantly different in the two groups: group A 52.9 +/- 20.9%; group B 17.8 +/- 12% (p less than 0.02). The late perfusion improvement involved mainly the sub-epicardial layers. In conclusion, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Tc-99m-MIBI clearly identified patients with effective reperfusion after thrombolytic treatment and distinguished them from subjects unaffected by therapy. Both, successfully and unsuccessfully treated patients showed a late perfusion improvement which was more evident in the successfully treated patients.

Female

[Efficacy and duration of effect of two delayed-action preparations of gallopamil in patients with exercise angina].

In 15 subjects (13 male, 2 female) with reproducible threshold ischaemic effort angina, the efficacy and the duration of the effect of two different formulations of gallopamil in equal doses were evaluated. One of these was gallopamil slow release administered twice daily (at 7.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.) in doses of 100 mg. The other was action gallopamil immediate release administered four times daily (at 7.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m., 6.00 p.m., 11.00 p.m.) in doses of 50 mg. The double-blind study followed the cross-over model. After one week of run-in with placebo and two-weeks of treatment with active preparations, the patients underwent a clinical examination, an ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring for 24 hours and two cycloergometric effort tests. The ergometric tests were carried out at 10.00 a.m. and at 5.00 p.m. on the same day so that there was a three-hour interval between the administration of both preparations (slow release and immediate release) and the morning test. The ergometric test which was carried out at 5.00 p.m. was at a ten-hour interval from the administration of slow release and at a four-hour interval from the administration of immediate release. For each period of treatment the gallopamil plasma concentrations were dosed during the ergometric test. In both these tests, the two preparations significantly increased the duration of the exercise compared to the basal values with placebo (7.9 +/- 2.3 minutes with placebo, 9.2 +/- 2.0 minutes with slow release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angina Pectoris

[Myocardial scintigraphy using 99m-technetium pyrophosphate in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarct. Comparison of planar and tomographic imaging].

The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with 99mTc-pyrophosphate in the verification of acute myocardial infarction. The study was performed on 39 patients (26 males, 13 females) aged between 41-76 years (mean 61 +/- 9) admitted to CCU for acute myocardial infarction. Patients underwent planar and SPECT imaging using a double-head-camera with a 360 degrees rotation arc within 6 days of admission. Planar images were obtained in three standard projections (anterior, LAO 45 degrees, LAO 75 degrees) with acquisitions of 500000 counts each. To obtain SPECT images ninety projections, each lasting 20 seconds, were taken; subsequently images reconstruction was performed using an iterative algorithm. Positive planar images were found in 21 out of 39 patients; SPECT images were positive in 33 patients. In "Q wave" myocardial infarctions planar images were positive in 13 out of 15 patients, whereas SPECT images were positive in all subjects; in "non-Q wave" myocardial infarctions planar images were positive in 6 out of 22 patients whereas SPECT images were positive in 16 patients (p less than 0.005); in 2 patients with left bundle branch block both planar and SPECT images were positive. A bidimensional echocardiogram was carried out on 38 patients: an alteration of left ventricular regional wall motion was present in 30 subjects; in one patient diffuse hypokinesia was present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Acute antiarrhythmia treatment with amiodarone and blood levels of thyroid hormones].

Amiodarone has a good antiarrhythmic effect administered either acutely or chronically. Since the antiarrhythmic effect of chronically administered amiodarone has been thought to be dependent on a depression of thyroid function, we studied the peripheral hormonal pattern of 10 euthyroid patients with ventricular arrhythmias who had been responsive to the acute intravenous administration of the drug (10 mg/Kg). During the first 12 hours following the drug administration, reverse T3, free T3 and free T4 values and QTc duration were unchanged. Therefore the antiarrhythmic effect of amiodarone when acutely administered has no correlation with thyroid hormone serum changes.

Amiodarone

[Long-term prognosis of survivors from anterior myocardial infarction complicatedy by complete atrio-ventricular block (author's transl)].

Thirteen patients out of 42 affected by acute myocardial infarction complicated by atrio-ventricular block survived the illness and were discharged from hospital. Eight of these patients (60%) died, all in the first six months of follow up: 3 suddenly and 5 in consequence of progressive heart failure. Dead patients were all in III or IV class of the N.Y.H.A. Three had been previously submitted to permanent pacing, one of these died suddenly. Five patients survive at the end of follow up that varies from 2 to 56 months. Of these five survivors 1 patient belong to the I class of the N.Y.H.A., 1 to the II class and 3 to the III class. Among survivors there is only 1 patient with permanent pacing. This is also the only one who had syncopal attacks during a period of pacing failure. Prognosis of patients with myocardial infarction complicated by atrio-ventricular block who survive illness is dependent on functional class and seems to be not considerably modified by permanent pacing.

Aged