Clinical significance of transient left ventricular dilation assessed during myocardial Tc-99m sestamibi scintigraphy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the clinical significance of transient ischemic dilation of the left ventricle during myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with stress/rest sestamibi.


METHODS
The study retrospectively analyzed 378 patients who underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with stress/rest sestamibi, 340 of whom had a low probability of having ischemia and 38 had significant transient defects. Transient ischemic dilation was automatically calculated using Autoquant software. Sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values were established for each value of transient ischemic dilation.


RESULTS
The values of transient ischemic dilation for the groups of low probability and significant transient defects were, respectively, 1.01   0.13 and 1.18   0.17. The values of transient ischemic dilation for the group with significant transient defects were significantly greater than those obtained for the group with a low probability (P<0.001). The greatest positive predictive values, around 50%, were obtained for the values of transient ischemic dilation above 1.25.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that transient ischemic dilation assessed using the stress/rest sestamibi protocol may be useful to separate patients with extensive myocardial ischemia from those without ischemia.
Duarte
Paulo Schiavom
PS
Nuclear Medicine and Cardiology Unit, Fleury - Centro de Medicina Diagnóstica and Faculdade de Saúde Pública of USP - São Paulo, SP - Brazil. paulo.duarte@fleury.com.br
Smanio
Paola Emanuela
PE
Oliveira
Carlos Alberto
CA
Martins
Luiz Roberto
LR
Mastrocolla
Luiz Eduardo
LE
Pereira
Julio César
JC
D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi