Usefulness of Tc-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile scintigraphy for evaluating congestive heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Evidence is accumulating that technetium 99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) is not retained in the impaired myocardium. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the severity of congestive heart failure (CHF) can be evaluated by use of the washout rate (WR) of MIBI.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients with CHF and ten healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. MIBI and iodine 123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy techniques were performed, and the WR was calculated. The blood was also sampled for the measurement of levels of brain natriuretic peptide, which is a powerful predictor of the severity of CHF. The WR of MIBI was higher in CHF patients (31.2%+/-6.3%) than in healthy volunteers (25.2%+/-4.7%) (P<.05). There were positive correlations between the WR of MIBI and brain natriuretic peptide levels (r=0.723, P<.0001) and a negative correlation between the WR of MIBI and the left ventricular ejection fraction (r=-0.545, P<.01). The WR of MIBI was correlated with that of MIBG (r=0.603, P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
MIBI scintigraphy is useful in evaluating the severity of congestive heart failure.
Sugiura
Tomonori
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Enshu General Hospital, Hamamatsu, and Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Japan.
Takase
Hiroyuki
H
Toriyama
Takayuki
T
Goto
Takatoshi
T
Ueda
Ryuzo
R
Dohi
Yasuaki
Y
D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi