Fast acquisition of myocardial SPECT images with Tc-99m sestamibi for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Shortening the acquisition time for myocardial single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging increases patient comfort and laboratory throughput. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy for coronary artery disease detection of myocardial SPECT images acquired in 5 to 10 minutes versus 25 minutes using Tc-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (Tc-99m sestamibi) and a single-head gamma camera.


RESULTS
Forty-one subjects had a standard 1-day rest/stress Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial SPECT study. Two sets of rest and stress images were acquired on the same day for each subject. One set of images was acquired with a 5- to 10-minute fast acquisition protocol; the second set of images was acquired with a 25-minute standard protocol. The accuracies of the fast and standard protocols for identifying individuals with and without coronary artery disease were equivalent. Accuracy was 76% for the fast protocol and 73% for the standard protocol in individuals with at least one coronary stenosis > or = 70%. The accuracies of the two protocols for identifying individual coronary arteries with stenoses > or = 70% also were equivalent. Accuracy was 77% for the fast protocol and 74% for the standard protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
SPECT myocardial images may be acquired in as little as 5 to 10 minutes using Tc-99m sestamibi and a 1-day rest/stress protocol. Accuracy is equivalent to that attained in studies with longer imaging times.
Segall
G M
GM
Nuclear Medicine Service, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Calif 94304, USA.
Stepp
C
C
Kadkade
P P
PP
Dae
M W
MW
Botvinick
E H
EH
D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004176:Dipyridamole; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D004176:Dipyridamole; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi