A retrospective study of the diagnostic accuracy of a community hospital-based PET center for the detection of coronary artery disease using rubidium-82.
A retrospective analysis has been carried out to determine the diagnostic accuracy of PET of the heart with 82Rb at a community hospital based center.


METHODS
Utilization statistics were derived from a total of 1460 patients scanned for the first 36 mo of the center's operation. Diagnostic accuracy for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) was assessed using three readers blinded to the clinical information. A total of 287 rest and dipyridamole-stress scans of patients who had coronary angiograms within 6 mo of the PET scan were selected by the computer for this study. Each rest/stress scan was read by at least two of the three readers.


RESULTS
The average sensitivity for all three readers was 87% for greater than 67% diameter stenosis and the average specificity was 88% for myocardial regions perfused by normal coronary arteries. The average accuracy was 88% for patients with greater than 67% diameter stenosis. Sensitivity and accuracy improved to 92% and 91% respectively for stenosis greater than 90% in diameter.


CONCLUSIONS
These results compare well with published results from major hospital-based centers and the recently published results from a private PET center in Georgia.
Williams
B R
BR
Saint Joseph's Hospital PET Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
Mullani
N A
NA
Jansen
D E
DE
Anderson
B A
BA
D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004176:Dipyridamole; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D004176:Dipyridamole