Multifocal, persistent cardiac uptake of [18-F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose detected by positron emission tomography in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Inflammation appears to be important in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).


RESULTS
Cardiac [18-F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)-scan was investigated in 12 fasting patients with first AMI (FAMI) single-vessel disease after successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention and at 9 weeks follow-up, and in 12 controls. The average FDG uptake (aFDGu) of the 28 left ventricular (LV) wall segments defined on the PET/CT images of the 12 FAMI patients was 1.28+/-0.57-fold higher than the activity present in the LV cavity. By contrast, the aFDGu of the 12 controls was 0.70+/-22 (p<0.001). The segmental aFDGu in the FAMI was multifocal in both the culprit and non-culprit segments; it was less than LV cavity activity in 38%, 1-2-fold greater in 51.8% and more than 2-fold greater in 10.2%. At follow-up, aFDGu was significantly increased in both culprit and non-culprit segments (1.69+/-1.15, p<0.001). Statistically significant differences between FAMI and controls patients were only found for interleukin-6 plasma levels on admission (11.3+/-7.7 pg/ml vs 2.2+/-1.3 pg/ml; p<0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Multifocal, non-infarct related, cardiac-FDG-uptake occurred immediately after AMI and persisted at follow-up. The cause of these striking and consistent findings is still speculative.
Godino
Cosmo
C
Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Department of San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. cosmogodino@gmail.com
Messa
Cristina
C
Gianolli
Luigi
L
Landoni
Claudio
C
Margonato
Alberto
A
Cera
Michela
M
Stefano
Coli
C
Cianflone
Domenico
D
Fazio
Ferruccio
F
Maseri
Attilio
A
D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011859:Radiography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18