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W J MacIntyre

Publications and source records attributed to W J MacIntyre.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Prediction by postexercise fluoro-18 deoxyglucose positron emission tomography of improvement in exercise capacity after revascularization.

The extent of ischemic and hibernating myocardium, which may be detected by increased postexercise uptake of fluoro-18 deoxyglucose (FDG) using positron emission tomography, may determine the degree of functional benefit after revascularization. This study examined the influence of the amount of this FDG-avid myocardium on changes in left ventricular function and exercise parameters after revascularization. Echocardiography and exercise testing were performed before and after intervention in 23 patients who had undergone positron emission tomography for the evaluation of myocardial perfusion (using rubidium-82), and postexercise FDG imaging in the fasting state. Follow-up echocardiography (22 +/- 14 weeks after revascularization) was compared with preoperative FDG activity in 7 myocardial regions per patient. Systolic function improved after intervention in 19 of 26 malperfused, dysfunctional FDG-avid regions (73%), and did not improve in 35 of 47 dysfunctional regions without increased FDG uptake (74%). The influence of the amount of FDG-avid tissue on changes in functional state was examined by comparing 9 patients with multiple (greater than or equal to 2) FDG-avid regions with the remainder. Those with multiple FDG-avid regions demonstrated improvement in peak rate-pressure product (20 +/- 4 to 26 +/- 4 x 10(3), p less than 0.02), and percentage of maximal heart rate achieved at peak (84 +/- 10% to 93 +/- 6%, p = 0.04), neither of which changed significantly in the remaining patients. Exercise capacity increased from 5.6 +/- 2.7 to 7.5 +/- 1.7 METS in the group with multiple FDG-avid regions; this increase of 55 +/- 18% exceeded the increase of 13 +/- 10% in the remainder (p = 0.04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Identification of recurrent ischemia after coronary artery bypass surgery: a comparison of positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography.

Current techniques for the detection of recurrent coronary stenoses following bypass grafting have shown disappointing diagnostic accuracy. This study used the same dipyridamole-handgrip stress to compare the accuracy of rubidium-82 positron emission tomography and thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography, in 50 consecutive post-bypass patients undergoing coronary arteriography at a mean interval of 6.5 years after surgery. Significant stenoses in native coronary vessels (greater than 50% diameter) or grafts (greater than 70% diameter) were defined by quantitative angiography. Forty-six patients had recurrent or residual stenoses, 43 (93%) had a perfusion defect identified by positron emission tomography, and 35 (76%) were identified by single photon emission computed tomography (P = 0.04). Fourteen of the 17 patients (82%) without previous Q-wave myocardial infarction were identified by positron emission tomography; 10 of the 17 (59%) were detected by single photon emission computed tomography (P = NS). Stress-induced perfusion defects were demonstrated by positron emission tomography in 19 patients; of this group, thallium imaging identified reversible defects in 11, showed no perfusion defect in 1, and portrayed a persistent defect in 7 patients. Significant graft disease was present in 33 patients; perfusion defects were identified by positron emission tomography in 30 (91%), and by single photon emission computed tomography in 24 (73%, P = NS). Four patients were fully revascularized, without significant recurrent coronary disease; normal perfusion was present in 3 (75%) by positron emission tomography, and 4 (100%) by single photon emission computed tomography.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Radiopharmaceucticals for cardiovascular imaging.

Radionuclide cardiac imaging is a noninvasive technique routinely used to detect coronary artery disease (CAD). This imaging modality includes techniques such as planar, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET) and radionuclide ventriculography--each technique having unique features of its own. Each technique employs various radiopharmaceuticals suitable for assessing different physiological and functional parameters that may become abnormal in the presence of CAD. Various cardiac imaging techniques include myocardial perfusion or blood flow, myocardial metabolism and cardiac function and wall motion. While radionuclide ventriculography gives the global functional status of the heart, SPECT and PET techniques provide information as to the regional blood flow and metabolic status of the myocardium. The following is a review of radiopharmaceuticals that are utilized clinically and in research in different types of nuclear cardiac imaging. Radiopharmaceuticals have been grouped according to the technique employed in which they are used. Various characteristics, merits and disadvantages of each radiopharmaceutical are discussed in detail.

Animals

Cyclotrons and positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals for clinical imaging.

Positron emission tomography (PET) requires positron-emitting radionuclides that emit 511-keV photons detectable by PET imagers. Positron-emitting radionuclides are commonly produced in charged particle accelerators, eg, linear accelerators or cyclotrons. The most widely available radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging are carbon-11-, nitrogen-13-, and oxygen-15-labeled compounds, many of which, either in their normal state or incorporated in other compounds, serve as physiological tracers. Other useful PET radiopharmaceuticals include fluorine-18-, bromine-75-, gallium-68 (68Ga)-, rubidium-82 (82Rb)-, and copper-62 (62Cu)-labeled compounds. Many positron emitters have short half-lives and thus require on-site cyclotrons for application, and others (68Ga, 82Rb, and 62Cu) are available from radionuclides generators using relatively long-lived parent radionuclides. This review is divided into two sections: cyclotrons and PET radiopharmaceuticals for clinical imaging. In the cyclotron section, the principle of operation of the cyclotron, types of cyclotrons, medical cyclotrons, and production of radionuclides are discussed. In the section on PET radiopharmaceuticals, the synthesis and clinical use of PET radiopharmaceuticals are described.

Brain

Metabolic responses of hibernating and infarcted myocardium to revascularization. A follow-up study of regional perfusion, function, and metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The presence of persistent myocardial uptake of 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) within hypoperfused, dysfunctional segments has been shown to predict the recovery of regional contractile function after revascularization. The spectrum of metabolic responses of such hibernating tissue to revascularization is less clear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixteen patients with previous infarction were studied before and after revascularization by myocardial perfusion imaging using 82Rb positron emission tomography, digitized two-dimensional echocardiography, and imaging of postexercise FDG uptake. Hibernation was identified in 35 of 85 segments showing perfusion and wall motion disturbances before intervention. At follow-up (4.9 +/- 2.6 months after revascularization), hibernating segments were characterized by reduction of wall motion score (p less than 0.001), improvement of perfusion (p less than 0.001), and reduction of FDG activity (p less than 0.001). Of the 35 hibernating segments, however, 10 still had abnormal elevation of FDG uptake (greater than 2 SD above normal) without differing from other hibernating segments with respect to postoperative perfusion or wall motion score. Segments with persistently abnormal metabolism were characterized before intervention by more severe malperfusion (p less than 0.01) and greater FDG activity (p less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although wall motion and perfusion improve with revascularization of hibernating tissue, myocardial metabolism remains abnormal in a significant proportion of segments. These segments are characterized by more extensive perfusion and metabolic changes before revascularization.

Deoxyglucose

Myocardial perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

The role of myocardial perfusion imaging has been extended from diagnosis to management and prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease. Great emphasis has been placed on improving the accuracy of the test to better define perfusion, viability, and the extent of damage of the myocardium. To achieve this goal, investigators have focused on several areas including imaging technique, in which the accuracy of single-photon emission CT has been compared with that of positron emission tomography; radiopharmaceuticals, in which 201Tl has been compared with 99mTc-sestamibi and 99mTc-teboroxime; stress modalities, in which dipyridamole and adenosine stress have been compared with exercise; myocardial viability, as determined by delayed and reinjection 201Tl imaging or by measurement of cellular integrity using 82Rb compared with 18fluorodeoxyglucose metabolic PET imaging; and assessment of myocardial salvage and prognosis by exercise or dipyridamole 201Tl imaging in acute myocardial infarction.

Adenosine

Myocardial perfusion imaging with positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography: frequency and causes of disparate results.

The purpose of this study was to compare rubidium-82 PET with thallium-201 SPECT imaging in 150 patients. Both techniques followed a single dipyridamole-handgrip stress, and images were displayed using the same 3-dimensional format and quantitative colour scale. Coronary arteriography was employed to assign the correct diagnosis in situations of disparity. Results of PET and SPECT were at least partially concordant in 110 patients (73%), although 22 had more than one defect. A reversible perfusion defect was identified in 60 patients, but the scans were concordant in only 20 (33%). These disparities were chiefly due to false-negative SPECT imaging (22 patients, 55%), and probable delayed thallium redistribution (13 patients, 33%). No patients had ischaemia correctly identified by SPECT in the presence of normal PET imaging. Persistent defects were identified in 91 patients, some of whom also had reversible defects, and the results were consistent in 54 (59%). Other than the delayed thallium redistribution group, the major categories causing disparities were false-positive (6 patients, 16%), and false negative SPECT (8 patients, 22%), attributable to attenuation and scatter. PET appears able to identify smaller, less ischaemic areas subtended by milder coronary stenoses. The availability of a true resting scan with Rb-PET enhances the discrimination between ischaemia and infarction. Attenuation correction, and the high energy photons of positron annihilation, yield more accurate evaluation of inferior wall defects and greater specificity in the presence of soft tissue attenuation.

Adult

Automated computer program for radionuclide cardiac output determination.

Radionuclides have provided a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive method for repeated determinations of cardiac output. A completely automated computer program for data analysis is described. Cardiac output values obtained by this technique correlated closely with values obtained by manual determination of the region of interest (r = 0.90 for right-ventricular and 0.98 for left-ventricular outputs, p less than 0.001 for both). Further, cardiac output determined by computer selection of either left-ventricular area of interest or of the "whole heart region" correlated significantly with that simultaneously determined by dye-dilution technique (indocyanine green; r = 0.86, p less than 0.001 for both). The automated approach allows greater objectivity in the selection of the regions of interest, faster turnaround of calculated results, and use of a smaller dose of radionuclide.

Adult

Camera-computer systems for rapid dynamic imaging studies.

The extraction of valuable diagnostic information from rapid, dynamic studies performed on a gamma camera requires that the data be recorded for latter analysis. If these data are to be available rapidly and if quantitative analysis is to be performed, it is imperative that a computer be used in conjuction with the gamma camera. This review describes the more important features of a nuclear medicine computer system both from the point of view of hardware and software. The various aspects that cause some limitations to be imposed on the capability of the system in order to carry out fast, dynamic studies are described and some possible solutions are suggested.

Analog-Digital Conversion

White and gray matter of the brain differentiated by computed tomography.

The white and gray matter of the brain can be clearly differentiated by computed tomography (CT). The differentiation is enhanced by the administration of contrast material. Without contrast material, the mean attenuation number of the white matter was 29 units, of the gray matter, 35 units. The effective low contrast resolving power of CT scanners can be clinically evaluated by comparing their ability to differentiate the white and gray matter of the brain.

Brain

Comparative modulation transfer functions of the EMI and Delta scanners.

Spatial resolution of the EMI and Delta computed tomographic scanners has been measured by recording the response to a nylon and water sunburst phantom (Siemens star) and calculating the modulation transfer function at radii corresponding to various spatial frequencies. The resolution appears to be related primarily to the size of the matrix element, and exhibits an upper cut-off frequency somewhat in excess of 3 cycles/cm.

Computers

The effects of biological motion on CT resolution.

A variety of periodic and aperiodic psyiologic motions affect the quality of CT images. This study was initiated to estimate what an optimal scan period should be in the design of CT units. Ultrashort scan periods were experimentally similated in the heart and liver to approximate the parameters of future technology.

Animals

Computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen; a preliminary report.

The utility of computed tomography (CT) in the study of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the human body has been the subject of considerable interest since the introduction of CT scanning. The advent of a new prototype scanning device has made it possible to examine a variety of abnormalities in the abdomen and thorax in a manner not previously possible. This development permits a remarkable insight into the study of human disease in vivo.

Aortography