18FDG SPECT to assess myocardial viability: initial experience at a hospital remote from a cyclotron.
18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG PET) is the recognized gold standard for the assessment of myocardial viability, but is not widely available in the UK. FDG imaging on a gamma camera with high-energy collimators (FDG SPECT) has been shown to have an accuracy comparable with that of FDG PET for the assessment of myocardial viability. This study was performed to assess the feasibility of introducing FDG SPECT for myocardial viability at a hospital a considerable distance away from a cyclotron (200 miles). Twenty-three patients, who were being actively considered for revascularization but had demonstrated fixed defects on stress/rest with nitrate tetrofosmin imaging, underwent FDG SPECT. Image quality was acceptable in all patients. Nine out of the 23 patients with defects classed as fixed on tetrofosmin imaging demonstrated viability on FDG SPECT. Six of these nine patients, reported to have some viable myocardium on FDG SPECT, underwent revascularization as a result. This study has demonstrated that FDG SPECT is feasible at a site some distance from a cyclotron.
Thorley
P J
PJ
Nuclear Cardiology, The General Infirmary at Leeds, UK. pjt@medphysics.leeds.ac.uk
Beacock
D J
DJ
Trickett
C A
CA
Sivananthan
U M
UM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017357:Cyclotrons; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019114:Remote Consultation; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18