Relation of technetium-99m pyrophosphate accumulation to time interval after onset of acute myocardial infarction as assessed by a tomographic acquisition technique.
Technetium-99m pyrophosphate (Tc-99m PYP) myocardial scintigraphy was performed in 110 clinically stable patients with acute or healed acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Tomography was performed 12 hours to 7 days (group A), 7 to 30 days (Group B), 1 to 6 months (Group C) and after greater than 6 months (group D) after AMI. All 40 patients in group A, 9 of 31 in group B, 1 of 22 in group C, and no patient (0 of 17) in group D had a pathologic Tc-99m PYP tomogram. Relative Tc-99m PYP accumulation within the area of infarction was measured as infarct zone to blood pool ratio, which decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) from group A (1.54 +/- 0.39) to group B (0.89 +/- 0.24), group C (0.8 +/- 0.19) and group D (0.76 +/- 0.13). These data were confirmed by sequential scintigraphy in 17 patients. It is concluded that a persisting Tc-99m PYP uptake is rarely found greater than 1 month after AMI using tomographic imaging techniques in clinically stable patients with coronary artery disease. Positive results on Tc-99m PYP tomography are a reliable indicator of AMI. Thus, Tc-99m PYP tomography is not only a sensitive but also a specific imaging technique for AMI, which might be especially useful for diagnosis of reinfarction.
Krause
T
T
Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Kasper
W
W
Zeiher
A
A
Schuemichen
C
C
Moser
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015637:Gated Blood-Pool Imaging; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D016698:Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D016698:Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate