title: One-year follow-up of myocardial perfusion and function evaluated by gated SPECT MIBI in patients with earlier myocardial infarction and chronic total occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Optimal treatment for chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the infarct-related coronary artery is not clear. Our aim was to assess myocardial perfusion, left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), and left ventricular size using gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging with 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile in patients with CTO before and 1 year after recanalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with earlier myocardial infarction and at least one CTO underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as well as nitrate-enhanced gated SPECT myocardial perfusion and dobutamine stress echocardiography before and 11 +/- 1 months after recanalization. They were divided into three groups based on the outcome of the follow-up angiography: (i) successful recanalization with no evidence of in-stent restenosis (n=13); (ii) successful recanalization with in-stent restenosis (n=7) and (iii) unsuccessful recanalization (n=10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall success of recanalization for CTO was 74%. In group 1, myocardial viability was preserved in 11 of 13 (85%) patients at baseline. Gated SPECT at 1 year showed a significant decrease in perfusion abnormalities (29 +/- 12 to 23 +/- 14%, P < 0.05) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) (168 +/- 47 to 151 +/- 47 ml, P < 0.05). Improvement in EF (51 +/- 11 to 54 +/- 13%, P > 0.05) and reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume (ESV) (84 +/- 37 to 77 +/- 40 ml, P > 0.05) did not reach the level of significance. Myocardial viability was preserved in only two of seven patients (28%) in group 2. Neither mean perfusion abnormalities (37 +/- 24 to 35 +/- 22%, P > 0.05) nor global left ventricular parameters (EF 41 +/- 15 vs. 42 +/- 19%, EDV 298 +/- 33 vs. 299 +/- 57 mL, ESV 197 +/- 12 vs. 195 +/- 32 ml; P > 0.05) changed at the follow-up. In group 3, myocardial viability was preserved in seven of 10 patients (70%) at baseline, but no significant changes in perfusion (40 +/- 18 vs. 41 +/- 19%, P > 0.05) and left ventricular function (EF 42 +/- 17 vs. 44 +/- 14%, EDV 228 +/- 101 vs. 227 +/- 81 ml, ESV 143 +/- 87 vs. 146 +/- 8 ml; P > 0.05) were seen at the follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myocardial perfusion and EDV may significantly improve 1 year after PCI provided recanalization of CTO was successful. Our preliminary findings suggest that successful recanalization of CTO may have favorable outcome on left ventricular perfusion and function, particularly in patients with viable myocardium before PCI. The gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging with 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile may be useful for monitoring long-term functional outcome of PCI in patients with CTO.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Center of Serbia, Visegradska 26, Belgrade 11000, Serbia.
authors.forename: Smiljana V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Pavlovic
authors.forename: Dragana P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Sobic-Saranovic
authors.forename: Branko D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Beleslin
authors.forename: Miodrag C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ostojic
authors.forename: Milan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nedeljkovic
authors.forename: Vojislav L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Giga
authors.forename: Zorica R
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Petrasinovic
authors.forename: Vera M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Artiko
authors.forename: Mila V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Todorovic-Tirnanic
authors.forename: Vladimir B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Obradovic
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D055426:Cardiac-Gated Single-Photon Emission Computer-Assisted Tomography; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D014022:Tissue Survival; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi