Q-wave regression after acute myocardial infarction assessed by Tl-201 myocardial perfusion SPECT.
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.
Voon
Wen-Chol
WC
Department of Cardiology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaosiung, Taiwan. wcvoon@giga.net.tw
Chen
Yu-Wen
YW
Hsu
Chien-Chin
CC
Lai
Wen-Ter
WT
Sheu
Sheng-Hsiung
SH
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*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C027549:thallium chloride; D013793:Thallium