Correlation between myocardial perfusion imaging findings and cardiac events.
OBJECTIVE
The excellent prognostic value of a normal or near normal stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been confirmed in numerous studies. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of MPI findings and cardiac events.


METHODS
Consecutive patients referred from January 2003 to December 2004 by Nuclear Medicine Unit in Ramathibodi Hospital for myocardial perfusion imaging were studied. Visual scoring of perfusion images used 17-segments and a scale of 0-4 was done. Sum stress score (SSS) was generated Cardiac death, death from any cause and nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (MI) were considered major cardiac events, and chest pain and late revascularization > 60 days after testing were considered minor cardiac events.


RESULTS
Of the 320 patients studied, 218 subjects who had complete 1-year follow-up, were enrolled. There were 99 patients with normal MPI (SSS < or = 3) and 119 patients with abnormal MPI (SSS > 3). Statistical significance between cardiac events in two groups (p < 0.001) was detected. Among hard events, there were three cardiac deaths (of these, 1 occurred in a patient with normal MPI and 2 in those with abnormal MPI) and no patients had non-fatal MI in both groups. Among minor cardiac events, 17 patients developed chest pain and 11 patients underwent late revascularization. No patient with normal MPI underwent revascularization (included early and late revascularization) was found.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that SSS can be used to provide incremental prognostic information beyond clinical data, which confirms the conclusions drawn from the results of previous studies by using nuclear stress test results.
Kositwattanarerk
Arpakorn
A
Nuclear Medicine Division, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. kung13521@hotmail.com
Sritara
Chanika
C
Sritara
Piyamit
P
D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi