title: Comparison of Gated SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging with Echocardiography for the Measurement of Left Ventricular Volumes and Ejection Fraction in Patients With Severe Heart Failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is known as a feasible tool for the measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and volumes, which are of great importance in the management and follow-up of patients with coronary artery diseases. However, considering the technical shortcomings of SPECT in the presence of perfusion defect, the accuracy of this method in heart failure patients is still controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to compare the results from gated SPECT MPI with those from echocardiography in heart failure patients to compare echocardiographically-derived left ventricular dimension and function data to those from gated SPECT MPI in heart failure patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients with severely reduced left ventricular systolic function (EF ≤ 35%) who were referred for gated SPECT MPI were prospectively enrolled. Quantification of EF, end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV) was performed by using quantitative gated spect (QGS) (QGS, version 0.4, May 2009) and emory cardiac toolbox (ECTb) (ECTb, revision 1.0, copyright 2007) software packages. EF, EDV, and ESV were also measured with two-dimensional echocardiography within 3 days after MPI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A good correlation was found between echocardiographically-derived EF, EDV, and ESV and the values derived using QGS (r = 0.67, r = 0.78, and r = 0.80 for EF, EDV, and ESV, respectively; P < 0.001) and ECTb (r = 0.68, 0.79, and r = 0.80 for EF, EDV, and ESV, respectively; P < 0.001). However, Bland-Altman plots indicated significantly different mean values for EF, 11.4 and 20.9 using QGS and ECTb, respectively, as compared with echocardiography. ECTb-derived EDV was also significantly higher than the EDV measured with echocardiography and QGS. The highest correlation between echocardiography and gated SPECT MPI was found for mean values of ESV different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gated SPECT MPI has a good correlation with echocardiography for the measurement of left ventricular EF, EDV, and ESV in patients with severe heart failure. However, the absolute values of these functional parameters from echocardiography and gated SPECT MPI measured with different software packages should not be used interchangeably.
authors.affiliation: Echocardiography Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shojaeifard
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghaedian
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yaghoobi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Firoozabadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bitarafan-Rajabi
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electrophysiology Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haghjoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Failure and Transplantation, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Electrophysiology Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azizian
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Feridoon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rastgou
keywords: Cardiac-Gated Single-Photon Emission Computer-Assisted Tomography; Echocardiography; Left Ventricular