title: Evaluation of technetium-99m-sestamibi lung uptake: correlation with left ventricular function.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giubbini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zoccarato
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giannuzzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Canna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi