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Comparing whole body (18)F-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography and technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate bone scan to detect bone metastases in patients with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: At present, bone metastases are usually assessed using conventional technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate whole-body bone scan, which has a high sensitivity but a poor specificity. However, positron emission tomography with (18)F-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) can offer superior spatial resolution and improved specificity. We attempted to evaluate the usefulness of FDG-PET for detecting bone metastases in breast cancer and to compare FDG-PET results with bone scan findings. PATIENTS: The study group comprised 48 patients with biopsy-proven breast cancer and suspected of having bone metastases who underwent bone scan and FDG-PET to detect the bone metastases. The final diagnosis of bone metastases was established by operative, histopathological findings or during a clinical follow-up longer than 1 year by additional radiographs or following FDG-PET/bone scan findings showing progressive widespread bone lesions. RESULTS: A total of 127 bone lesions including 105 metastatic and 22 benign bone lesions found by either FDG-PET or bone scan were evaluated. Using FDG-PET, 100 metastatic and 20 benign bone lesions were accurately diagnosed, and using bone scan 98 metastatic and 2 benign bone lesions were accurately diagnosed. The diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of FDG-PET were 95.2% and 94.5%, and of bone scan were 93.3% and 78.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that FDG-PET shows a similar sensitivity and a better accuracy than bone scan for detecting bone metastases in patients with breast cancer.

Adult↗

Comparing whole body 18F-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography and technetium-99m methylene diphosphate bone scan to detect bone metastases in patients with renal cell carcinomas - a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: Conventional technetium-99m methylene diphosphate whole body bone scan (bone scan) has a high sensitivity but a poor specificity to detect bone metastases. However, positron emission tomography with 18F-2-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET) can offer superior spatial resolution and improved specificity. We have attempted to evaluate the usefulness of FDG-PET for detecting bone metastases in renal cell carcinomas (RCC) and to compare FDG-PET results with bone scan findings. METHODS: Eighteen patients were selected for this study with biopsy-proven RCC. They were suspected of having bone metastases and were undergoing bone scan and FDG-PET to detect bone metastases. The final diagnoses of bone metastases were established by operative, histopathological findings or clinical follow-up longer than 1 year by additional radiographs or following FDG-PET/bone scan findings showing progressive and extensive widespread bone lesions. RESULTS: A total of 52 bone lesions including 40 metastatic and 12 benign bone lesions found on either FDG-PET or bone scan were evaluated. FDG-PET could accurately diagnose all 40 metastatic and 12 benign bone lesions. Bone scan could accurately diagnose only 31 metastatic bone lesions. Diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of FDG-PET were 100% and 100%, respectively,and bone scan were 77.5% and 59.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that FDG-PET has a higher sensitivity and a better accuracy than that of bone scan to detect bone metastases in patients with RCC.

Aged↗

Radioimmunodetection of residual, recurrent or metastatic germ cell tumors using technetium-99 anti-(alpha-fetoprotein) Fab' fragment.

PURPOSE: The majority of patients with germ cell tumors are cured by multimodality therapy that consists of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and/or surgical resection. Serum tumor markers and conventional radiographs are utilized to stratify patients into treatment categories. Efforts to individualize chemotherapy or minimize surgical interventions without compromising outcome are important. Immunomedics (Morris Plains, New Jersey) developed an anti-(alpha-fetoprotein) (anti-AFP) monoclonal antibody IMMU-30 labeled with 15-20 mCi technetium-99, and the purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of radioimmunoscintigraphy using 99mTc anti-AFP antibody for the diagnosis of active germ cell tumors. METHODS: A group of patients with germ cell tumors were enrolled in a non-prospective fashion and 48 AFP scans using 99Tc anti-AFP Fab' fragment were obtained. At the time of the AFP scan, serum AFP was elevated in 40 measurements with a median level of 21 ng/ml (1.6-66, 210.0 ng/ml). AFP scans were obtained at the initial staging, during treatment, at relapse or at long-term follow-up and compared with conventional radiographs done within 4 weeks of the AFP scans. RESULTS: An overall diagnostic sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 58% were obtained. CONCLUSIONS: AFP scanning appears useful and to be sufficiently sensitive to justify prospective studies comparing the procedure with conventional imaging.

Adolescent↗

The evaluation of acute pyelonephritis and renal scarring with technetium 99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy: evolving concepts and future directions.

Technetium 99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy has emerged as the imaging agent of choice for the detection and evaluation of acute pyelonephritis and renal cortical scarring in children. Consequently, DMSA scintigraphy provides a unique opportunity to study the progression of renal damage and functional loss from the initial insult of acute pyelonephritis to the subsequent development of irreversible renal scarring. Over the last few years, clinical and experimental investigations using DMSA renal scintigraphy have provided new insights into the etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical outcome of acute pyelonephritis in children. These studies have confirmed the primary role of the acute inflammatory response, associated with both reflux and nonreflux pyelonephritis, in the etiology of irreversible renal scarring. Furthermore, several studies have shown that renal scarring can be prevented or diminished by the early diagnosis and treatment of pyelonephritis. This review highlights these recent observations and makes recommendations regarding current clinical and future research applications.

Humans↗

Technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy in children over 5 years.

We retrospectively evaluated the frequency of renal scintigraphic abnormalities in children over 5 years admitted with a first symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI). Among 261 children investigated, we found only 23 over 5 years having had technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy during the acute phase of a first UTI. Obvious scintigraphic abnormalities were detected in 14 children (15 kidneys): 12 kidneys showed focal cortical defects and 3 were small and deformed. Ultrasound was normal in 7 of the 15 kidneys with abnormal scintigraphy and in all the kidneys with normal scintigraphy. Among the 12 kidneys with focal cortical lesions, 8 kidneys returned to normal or improved considerably 2-12 months after initial work-up. In conclusion, in children over 5 years admitted with a first symptomatic UTI, the frequency of scintigraphic abnormalities is high and a strategy based only on ultrasound data would miss about 50% of the abnormal kidneys.

Acute Disease↗

The role of scintigraphy with technetium-99m nanocolloid in patients with peripheral joint pain.

We studied 51 patients with peripheral joint pain to assess the ability of technetium-99m-nanocolloid (99mTc NC) scintigraphy to distinguish patients with active joint disease from those without, irrespective of their underlying aetiology. Patients with peripheral joint pain due to various causes were clinically categorised as either having objective signs of active joint disease or not. Their clinical diagnoses were not made known to the nuclear physician until after scanning. Each patient was given an intravenous injection of 555 MBq of 99mTc NC 1 h prior to taking spot views of the peripheral joints. Seventeen patients with low backache but without peripheral joint pain were imaged in an identical manner to exclude peripheral joint involvement. The latter formed a control group. 99mTc NC scintigraphy demonstrated a sensitivity of 89% for identifying at least one affected joint per patient, a specificity of 87.5%, a negative predictive value (npv) of 87.5%, a positive predictive value (ppv) of 89%, and overall accuracy of 88%. There were three false negative and three false positive cases. The scan was negative in all control subjects. 99mTc NC scintigraphy proved to be sensitive in patients with active joint disease and demonstrated a good correlation with clinical assessment. The value of the high specificity, npv and negative controls together made the test highly discriminatory in excluding patients without active peripheral joint disease.

Adolescent↗

Functional imaging in schizencephaly using [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime (HMPAO-SPECT).

We analyzed interictal [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FGD-PET) and single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime (HMPAO-SPECT) in a 23-year-old female with schizencephaly. She had epilepsy and mild left hemiparesis, but was otherwise developmentally normal. We found the glucose metabolism and perfusion of the wall of the schizencephalic cleft to be identical to those of normal cerebral cortex. The wall of the transcerebral clefts, which were observed to be lined by abnormally organized gray matter as a result of a migration disorder, demonstrated gray matter metabolic activity and perfusion. FDG-PET and HMPAO-SPECT were thus found to be a useful complement to magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating schizencephaly.

Adult↗

Filtered versus unfiltered technetium sulfur colloid in lymphatic mapping: a significant variable in a pig model.

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic mapping with sentinel node biopsy is becoming a standard diagnostic test for melanoma and is being extensively investigated for use with other soft tissue tumors. Both filtered and unfiltered technetium sulfur colloid (Tc 99) have been used for preoperative lymphoscintigraphy, as well as intraoperative lymphatic mapping, and it is not clear if one is preferable over the other. The purpose of this study was to compare these two preparations to determine whether the form of Tc 99 used affects the results of lymphatic mapping. METHODS: Mock skin sites were placed on each extremity of 12 domestic pigs totaling 48 skin sites. Twenty-four of the lesions were injected with unfiltered Tc 99; the remaining 24 were injected with Tc 99 passed over a 0.2-microm filter. Both preparations of Tc 99 were mixed with 1 mL of isosulfan blue before injection. Sentinel node dissection was performed using a gamma probe, with counts recorded over a 10-second period and timed to begin 5 minutes after injection. RESULTS: Sentinel nodes were identified in all 48 lymph node basins draining the mock sites and characterized as hot (10x background), blue, or both. Significantly more sentinel nodes were found in the filtered (105 total, X = 4.4/basin), than in the unfiltered group (total 53, X = 2.2/basin, P <.0001). The filtered group had both a higher number of nodes that were hot (35 vs. 6) and more nodes that were hot and blue (69 vs. 43). In addition, hot secondary level lymph nodes (iliac and deep cervical) were found in 11 of 24 of the basins (46%) in the filtered group compared to 1 of 24 (4%) in the unfiltered group (P <.003). There was no significant difference in injection site or residual basin counts between the two groups, but in vivo counts over the sentinel node sites were significantly lower in the unfiltered group (X = 2670+/-1829 vs. X = 6027+/-4333; P = .003). CONCLUSION: Use of filtered Tc 99 results in more sentinel nodes (both hot/blue and hot non-blue) and a higher proportion of secondary lymph nodes. These findings indicate that the Tc 99 preparation used is a significant variable in the results of lymphatic mapping. It is critical that future clinical studies document which preparation of Tc 99 was used. Only large clinical trials will be able to determine whether the additional nodes found with filtered Tc 99 increase the sensitivity of the technique or merely increase the number of nodes that must be removed unnecessarily.

Animals↗

Relationship between CT volumetry and functional liver volume using technetium-99m galactosyl serum albumin scintigraphy in patients undergoing preoperative portal vein embolization before major hepatectomy: a preliminary study.

To clarify the relationship between morphological measurements of hepatic volume by computed tomography (CT-vol) and functional volume (RI-vol) by technetium-99m galactosyl human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA) scintigraphy, and its clinical significance, we examined 16 patients with a background liver status of either normal liver function (n=4), chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis (n=7), or obstructive jaundice (n=5). In five patients who underwent preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE), volumetric measurement was performed 2 weeks after PVE. The mean values of CT-vol and RI-vol of the right lobe were 692+/-147 cm3 (66.1+/-10.7%) and 668+/-159 cm3 (67.8+/-13.2%), respectively, and those of the left lobe were 329+/-138 cm3 (33.9+/-10.6%) and 328+/- 170 cm3 (32.2+/-13.2%), respectively. There were no significant differences in the volume measurements between the two volumetric techniques. Correlations between CT-vol and RI-vol in the right and left lobes were positive and significant (r=0.912 and 0.903, respectively; both P's<0.001). The mean values of post-PVE CT-vol and RI-vol of the right lobe in five patients were significantly different (628+/-149 and 456+/-211 cm3, respectively; P=0.033). However, the mean values of post-PVE CT-vol and RI-vol of the left lobe were not different (496+/-124 and 483+/-129 cm3, respectively). We propose that volumetric measurement by 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy is useful for detecting changes in functional volume of individual lobes of the liver and is a more dynamic method compared with detection of morphological changes by CT scan.

Adult↗

Value and limitations of technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate in the detection of acute myocardial infarction.

Technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) myocardial imaging was performed in 436 consecutive patients for the evaluation of chest pain and suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Scintigrams were assessed independently by three observers with a 90% interobserver agreement. In 134 patients with documented AMI (97 TRANSMURAL, 37 NONTRANSMURAL), THE SENSITIVITY OF 99MTc-PYP imaging was significantly lower in patients with nontransmural AMI (41%) than in patients with transmural AMI (78%), 99mTc-PYP imaging correctly localized the site of transmural infarction in 53 patients (70%). A diffuse 99mTc-PYP uptake was found in nine (10%) of 91 patients with positive scintigrams: six of these had a transmural AMI and three nontransmural AMI. In 226 patients without AMI, the specificity of infarct imaging was 95%. A false-positive scintigram was found in 0%, 8%, 9%, and 2% of patients with unstable angina, progressive angina, stable angina, and noncardiac chest pain, respectively. A diffuse uptake was found in six (54%) of 11 patients with false-positive scintigrams. No patient with the clinical diagnosis of noncardiac chest pain showed discrete uptake. In 76 patients with uncertain diagnosis for AMI, 99Tc-PYP imaging was considered of value in 11 patients with ventricular conduction defects (two patients with WPW syndrome, nine patients with LBBB). These data suggest that: 1. 99mTc-PYP imaging is moderately sensitive in detecting and localizing transmural AMI and is insensitive in detecting nontransmural AMI; 2. A discrete 99mTc-PYP uptake is highly specific for AMI; 3. a diffuse uptake is neither sensitive to, nor specific for AMI. Myocardial imaging with 99m-Tc-PYP is of clinical value when the standard electrocardiographic and enzymatic techniques are inadequate for an accurate diagnosis of AMI.

Acute Disease↗

Technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate myocardial scintigrams in pericardial disease.

Technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) myocardial scintigrams were obtained in 35 acute pericarditis and in three chronic constrictive pericarditis patients. Thirteen of 35 acute pericarditis patients (37%) and one of three chronic constrictive pericarditis patients (33%) had abnormal scintigrams (a diffuse pattern in eight patients and a regional pattern in six patients). Of the 17 acute pericarditis patients with classic ST-segment changes of acute pericarditis, 10 (56%) had abnormal scintigrams compared to three of 17 patients (18%) without these ECG changes (P less than 0.02). These data indicate that pericardial disease may cause an abnormal scintigram. Therefore, one must rule out pericardial disease before concluding that a positive scintigram is due to acute myocardial infarction.

Acute Disease↗

Detection of occult pericardial hemorrhage early after open-heart surgery using technetium-99m red blood cell radionuclide ventriculography.

Pericardial or mediastinal hemorrhage requiring reoperation occurs in 2% to 5% of patients, usually early (0 to 48 hours), after open-heart surgery. This hemorrhage may be occult, and resulting cardiac tamponade may easily be misinterpreted as ventricular dysfunction, common early postoperatively. In such cases, appropriate and timely intervention may not occur. Of 50 patients evaluated by technetium-99m red blood cell gated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) because of early postoperative cardiogenic shock of uncertain etiology, 17 had unique scintigraphic images suggestive of intrathoracic hemorrhage. Of these 17, 5 had a generalized "halo" of abnormal radioactivity surrounding small hyperdynamic right and left ventricles, 11 had localized regions of intense blood pool activity outside the cardiac chambers (two with compression of single chambers), and one demonstrated marked radionuclide activity in the right hemithorax (2000 ml of blood at reoperation). Twelve patients had exploratory reoperation for control of hemorrhage as a direct result of the scintigraphic findings, three were successfully treated with fresh frozen plasma and platelet infusions along with medical interventions to optimize cardiac performance, and two patients died in cardiogenic shock (presumed tamponade) without reoperation. In the 12 reoperated patients, all were confirmed to have active pericardial bleeding. Scintigraphic localization of abnormal blood pools within the pericardium corresponded to the sites at which active bleeding was witnessed at reoperation. The abnormal bleeding was etiologically related to the tamponade state, with marked improvement in hemodynamics after reoperation. Nine additional patients were reoperated for presumed tamponade after RNV revealed an exaggerated halo of photon deficiency surrounding the cardiac chambers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

Comparison of contrast x-ray biplane cineangiography and technetium-99m radionuclide scans for measurement of ventricular volumes in human autopsy hearts.

The area-length method is widely used in the determination of left ventricular volume. Although previous studies have reported that this technique overestimates true volume (TV), it is unknown whether this overestimation is the same at different volumes. In the present study, with the use of 10 postmortem human hearts, left ventricular volumes were determined by contrast x-ray biplane cine ventriculography (LVA), biplane radionuclide (LVR), and absolute-counts (LVC) technetium scans, and the results were correlated with TV. LVA correlated well with TV (r = 0.98). LVR correlated well with TV (r = 0.97), and LVR also correlated well with LVA (r = 0.96). Both area-length techniques (LVA and LVR) resulted in overestimation of TV with an upward shift of the regression line of 30.4ml +/- 3.8 (SEM) for LVA and 28.5 +/- 4.4 for LVR. The percentage of overestimation error was significantly greater at smaller left ventricular volumes (error = 33% at TV = 30ml and 10% at TV = 100ml, p less than 0.001). LVC correlated well with TV (r = 0.99), TVA, and LVR but underestimated TV. Thus left ventricular volumes can be reliably obtained from LVR and LVA by means of the area-length method and from LVC. When the area-length method is utilized, the percentage of error in the determination of left ventricular volume is proportional to 1/TV.

Angiocardiography↗

Cardiac imaging and myocardial kinetics of technetium-tertiary butyl-isonitrile during dipyridamole-induced hyperemia.

UNLABELLED: To determine the myocardial kinetics of technetium-tertiary-butyl-isonitrile (Tc-TBI) during dipyridamole-induced hyperemia, the circumflex coronary arteries (LCX) of 15 dogs were partially occluded. Dipyridamole was then infused intravenously over 4 minutes, creating hyperemic flows in the anterior descending (LAD) coronary system. Tc-TBI was administered, then LAD and LCX regional myocardial Tc-TBI activities were continuously monitored with miniature detectors and gamma camera imaging over 3 hours. Microsphere-determined regional myocardial blood flows demonstrated an LCX/LAD flow ratio of 0.81 +/- 0.21 at rest and 0.45 +/- 0.24 (SD) during dipyridamole infusion. Three-hour fractional Tc-TBI clearance rates were minimal and were equal in the LAD (0.14 +/- 0.11) and LCX (0.13 +/- 0.12) zones (p = ns). Excellent gamma camera images, demonstrating the LCX defect, were obtained in all dogs. The correlation coefficient was 0.98 for regional myocardial blood flow vs initial Tc-TBI distribution. IN CONCLUSION: (1) Dipyridamole vasodilation unmasked coronary stenoses despite no flow disparities at rest. (2) The initial distribution of Tc-TBI is proportional to regional myocardial blood flow. (3) There is minimal washout and no redistribution into the initial defect over time, and thus image quality is stable over time. (4) Tc-TBI myocardial kinetics may be applicable to closely related agents currently being developed.

Animals↗

Comparison of technetium 99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile and thallium 201 for evaluation of coronary artery disease by planar and tomographic methods.

To compare stress/rest technetium 99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (Tc-MIBI) with stress redistribution thallium 201(T1-201) myocardial perfusion imaging, 36 patients were studied by single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and planar methods. For SPECT, overall sensitivities for identification of patients with coronary artery disease were 93% (14/15) by Tc-MIBI and 80% (12/15) by TI-201 (p = NS). For planar methods, overall sensitivities were 73% (11/15) by both TI-201 and Tc-MIBI. Overall specificity was 75% (3/4 patients with normal coronary arteries) for both tracers with SPECT and Tc-MIBI by planar imaging and was 50% for planar TI-201 (p = NS). The normalcy rates for overall identification of coronary artery disease were determined in 17 patients with a low likelihood of disease. For SPECT, normalcy rates were 100% by Tc-MIBI and 77% by TI-201 (p = NS). For planar, they were 94% by Tc-MIBI and 88% by TI-201 (p = NS). Vessel sensitivities in the 35 stenosed coronary arteries (greater than or equal to 50% stenosis) for SPECT were 87% by Tc-MIBI and 77% by TI-201 (p = NS). For planar, the vessel sensitivities were 60% by Tc-MIBI and 54% by TI-201 (p = NS). For both tracers, the SPECT vessel sensitivities were significantly higher (p less than 0.005) than planar vessel sensitivities. The vessel specificities in 22 coronary vessels with less than 50% stenosis were 86% by SPECT Tc-MIBI and TI-201, 80% by planar Tc-MIBI and 73% by planar TI-201 (p = NS, SPECT vs planar, Tc-MIBI vs TI-201). Regarding myocardial segmental agreement, for the presence of stress defects the agreement was 91% for the 720 SPECT segments and 95% for the 540 planar segments. For severity of stress defects based on semiquantitative visual scoring, the exact agreement was 87% for SPECT and 80% for planar. For the pattern of reversibility in myocardial segments with stress defects, the agreement was 97% for SPECT and 91% for planar. This study demonstrated that Tc-MIBI and TI-201 correlate well on both planar and SPECT images with respect to the identification of patients with coronary artery disease, identification of disease in individual coronary arteries, the presence and severity of perfusion defects, and the assessment of defect reversibility. Furthermore, SPECT Tc-MIBI was shown to be superior to planar Tc-MIBI for the identification of individual diseased vessels.

Adult↗

Assessment of the extent of jeopardized myocardium during acute coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion in man using technetium-99m isonitrile imaging.

We tested the feasibility of technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (Tc-MIBI) imaging for delineating jeopardized myocardium during acute coronary occlusion and reperfusion in man. This new perfusion agent was injected in 25 patients during elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of a single-vessel left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery stenosis. Distinct perfusion defects were present on "occlusion" images but not on "open vessel" images obtained 20 to 24 hours later in 21 patients (84%). The extent and severity of perfusion defects were significantly smaller in patients with distal versus proximal LAD occlusions (3.4 +/- 1.2 versus 5.2 +/- 1.5 segments; p less than 0.001). The only factor that was significantly related to the presence or absence of such "ischemic" perfusion defects was the absence or presence of visible collateral vessels to the LAD (p less than 0.03). The site of occlusion, presence of wall motion abnormalities, or occlusion time did not influence the results significantly. Thus the myocardial area at risk could be visualized and quantitated by Tc-MIBI imaging even after occlusion times as short as 15 seconds, but functioning collateral vessels are capable of protecting jeopardized myocardium in this setting.

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↗

Combined assessment of technetium-99m SESTAMIBI planar myocardial perfusion images at rest and during exercise with rest/exercise left ventricular wall motion studies evaluated from gated myocardial perfusion studies.

The favorable physical characteristics of technetium-99m-labeled 2-methoxy-2-methylisopropyl-1-isonitril (Tc-SESTAMIBI) enable the combined evaluation of both myocardial perfusion and left ventricular wall motion. To assess the potential of rest and exercise regional myocardial function as an adjunct to planar myocardial perfusion imaging, 60 patients with coronary artery disease and documented arteriographic findings were studied with both protocols during a single study. Exact segmental concordance between myocardial perfusion and wall motion studies was 77% (701/900 segments). Overall sensitivity and specificity to detect hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease with Tc-SESTAMIBI myocardial perfusion imaging were 89% and 79%, respectively, with resting wall motion studies 83% and 71%, respectively, and with rest/exercise wall motion studies, 85% and 71%, respectively. If the results of both perfusion and rest/exercise studies were combined, sensitivity increased to 96% and specificity decreased to 64%. The differences with perfusion studies alone were not statistically significant. Thus despite a good correlation between regional left ventricular function and perfusion, no statistically significant incremental diagnostic value was found when the results of both perfusion and wall motion studies were combined.

Adult↗