Rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography predicts myocardial infarction and cardiac death in patients with ischemic left ventricular dysfunction.
The prognostic role of rest-redistribution 201-Thallium imaging has not been extensively investigated in patients with left ventricular ischemic dysfunction.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography to predict cardiac death and occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in patients with ischemic mild-to-moderate left ventricular dysfunction.


METHODS
One-hundred and twenty-six patients with chronic coronary artery disease and mean left ventricular ejection fraction 39 +/- 11% were followed-up for 30 +/- 17 months after a rest-redistribution 201-Thallium imaging single photon emission computed tomography. Cardiac death and acute myocardial infarction were considered as major cardiac events.


RESULTS
During the follow up, 11 (9%) cardiac deaths and 9 (7%) acute myocardial infarctions occurred. The only variable showing significant difference between patients with and without events was the number of severe irreversible defects (1.7 +/- 1.9 versus 0.9 +/- 1.2, respectively; P = 0.02). By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the presence of three or less, or more than three severe defects was selected as the best cutoff to identify patients with longer event-free survival from cardiac death or acute myocardial infarction (log rank 19.84; P < 0.0001). When only cardiac death was considered as clinical event, the presence of at least two severe defects best separated patients who died from those who survived (log rank 8.68; P = 0.0032).


CONCLUSIONS
Rest-redistribution 201-Thallium single photon emission computed tomography provides prognostic information in coronary patients with mild-to-moderate left ventricular dysfunction. The number of severe irreversible defects per patient is a powerful predictor of prognosis.
Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular & Immunological Sciences, Italy. fpperron@unina.it
Pasquale
P
Perrone-Filardi
Leonardo
L
Pace
Santo
S
Dellegrottaglie
Luigi
L
Corrado
Maria
M
Prastaro
Maria
M
Cafiero
Gianluca
G
Caiazzo
Antonio
A
Marzano
Paolo
P
Cesarano
Paola
P
Gargiulo
Stefania
S
Paolillo
Antonio
A
Maglione
Andrea
A
Petretta
Massimo
M
Chiariello
D000368:Aged; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes