title: Q-wave regression after acute myocardial infarction assessed by Tl-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The actual relationship between the interval change of myocardial thallium 201 (Tl-201) radioactivity in the infarct area and the pattern of Q-wave regression is still unknown. This study was conducted to evaluate their relationship after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 patients who had a first Q-wave AMI (11 without Q-wave regression and 19 with Q-wave regression) were retrospectively included. Two sets of 12-lead surface electrocardiograms and Tl-201 myocardial perfusion images were obtained 0 to 2 months and 14 to 84 months after the AMI event, respectively. The acute/subacute redistribution Tl-201 radioactivity was similar between the patients with and those without Q-wave regression. However, the patients with Q-wave regression had higher chronic redistribution Tl-201 radioactivity than those without Q-wave regression. Moreover, the patients with Q-wave regression presented a higher gradient in the redistribution Tl-201 radioactivity between the chronic and acute/subacute images than those without Q-wave regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the role of functional recovery of stunning and/or hibernating myocardium in the disappearance of Q waves after AMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaosiung, Taiwan. wcvoon@giga.net.tw
authors.forename: Wen-Chol
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Voon
authors.forename: Yu-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chien-Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Wen-Ter
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Sheng-Hsiung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sheu
mesh_terms: D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013793:Thallium; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C027549:thallium chloride; D013793:Thallium