Evaluation of technetium-99m-sestamibi lung uptake: correlation with left ventricular function.
Lung uptake of 201Tl is a reliable marker of left ventricular dysfunction. The goal of our study was to establish whether the evaluation of lung-to-heart uptake ratios (LHR) with 99mTc-sestamibi imaging may provide valuable information.


METHODS
We studied 72 male subjects with recent anterior myocardial infarction undergoing 99mTc-sestamibi first-pass ventriculography and SPECT perfusion imaging. A group of 46 gender-matched subjects with low pre-test likelihood of CAD and normal exercise and rest 99mTc-sestamibi perfusion images was used as a control. The lung-to-heart count ratios (LHR) were calculated on planar projections from the sets of SPECT images.


RESULTS
Both groups were studied at rest and after a symptom-limited exercise tolerance test. In the control group a significant decrease in LHR was observed during stress (p < 0.001). The infarcted group showed significantly higher LHR values both at rest and at stress. Exercise and rest LHR values did not differ significantly. A positive correlation was observed between LHR values and left ventricular ejection fraction at rest and stress.


CONCLUSIONS
LHR, measured by 99mTc-sestamibi imaging, gives clinically useful information. Both resting and postexercise values are correlated with ejection fraction and should predict left ventricular dysfunction.
Giubbini
R
R
Nuclear Medicine Department, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
Campini
R
R
Milan
E
E
Zoccarato
O
O
Orlandi
C
C
Rossini
P
P
Giannuzzi
P
P
La Canna
G
G
Galli
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013318:Stroke Volume; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*
D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi