title: Technetium-99m isonitrile myocardial uptake at rest. I. Relation to severity of coronary artery stenosis.
abstract: To determine the potential of planar technetium-99m methoxybutyl isonitrile myocardial imaging as a method of detecting totally occluded or severely stenosed coronary arteries, the regional distribution of technetium-99m isonitrile at rest was compared with the coronary anatomy in 38 patients with prior myocardial infarction who underwent coronary arteriography. Left ventricular technetium-99m isonitrile tracer uptake at rest was assessed in the three major coronary vascular territories. When qualitative rest technetium-99m isonitrile uptake was markedly reduced or absent (grade 0), there was a 91% probability of finding a totally occluded or severely stenosed coronary artery. When qualitative tracer uptake was reduced (grade 1) or normal (grade 2), it excluded all territories supplied by a totally occluded vessel with poor collateral flow. Quantitative technetium-99m isonitrile uptake (mean +/- 1 standard deviation) in territories supplied by an occluded coronary artery with poor collateral flow (42 +/- 21%) was lower than in territories supplied by a vessel with less than 50% stenosis (87 +/- 10%) and 50 to 99% stenosis (74 +/- 19%) (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, technetium-99m isonitrile uptake in areas supplied by an occluded coronary artery with good collateral flow (61 +/- 23%) was lower than in areas supplied by a vessel with less than 50% stenosis (87 +/- 10%) (p less than 0.001). Because rest technetium-99m isonitrile imaging detects coronary occlusion with poor collateral flow, this method may be useful in assessing patients with acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dilsizian
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Rocco
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boucher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009570:Nitriles; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi