title: Technetium 99m furifosmin regional myocardial uptake in patients with previous myocardial infarction: relation to thallium-201 activity and left ventricular function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to compare the results of rest-redistribution thallium-201 imaging with those of rest technetium 99m furifosmin single photon emission computed tomography in the same patients with chronic ischemic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients (mean age 62 +/- 9 years) with chronic myocardial infarction and LV dysfunction (mean LV ejection fraction 34% +/- 8%) underwent rest-redistribution thallium imaging and resting furifosmin single photon emission computed tomography on the same day. In each patient, regional thallium and furifosmin activity was quantitatively measured in 13 myocardial segments. Regional LV function was assessed in corresponding segments by echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At thallium imaging, 91 (33%) segments had normal uptake, 16 (6%) showed reversible defects, and the remaining 166 (61%) irreversible defects. Of these 166 irreversible defects, 74 (45%) had moderate (> or =58% of peak activity) and 92 (55%) severe (<58% of peak activity) reduction of thallium uptake. Regional furifosmin uptake was significantly related to both rest (r = 0.87, P < .0001) and redistribution (r = 0.90, P < .0001) thallium activity. Agreement in the evaluation of regional perfusion status between thallium and furifosmin imaging was observed in 70% of the 84 hypokinetic segments (kappa = 0.54) and in 76% of the 78 akinetic or dyskinetic segments (kappa = 0.60). Concordance in the detection of myocardial viability between thallium and furifosmin imaging was observed in 69 (82%) of hypokinetic regions (kappa = 0.60) and in 65 (83%) of akinetic or dyskinetic regions (kappa = 0.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and LV dysfunction, quantitative rest-redistribution thallium scintigraphy and furifosmin tomography at rest provide similar results in the evaluation of perfusion status and in the detection of myocardial viability.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Center of the National Council of Research, Department of Biomorphological and Functional Sciences, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy. cuocolo@unina.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuocolo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubini
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Acampa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicolai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Florimonte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DiGiovine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Addabbo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatore
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013667:Technetium; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013667:Technetium