title: Fast myocardial perfusion imaging with99mTc in challenging patients using conventional SPECT cameras.
abstract: We attempted to validate the performance of a fast myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) protocol in diagnostically challenging patients.
  
  
  
  78 patients with ΒΜΙ > 24.9, LVH or three vessels disease underwent two sequential gated-MPI studies. The first at 15 (Early Imaging, EI) and the second at 45 (Late Imaging, LI) minutes post99mTc-injection, at both stress and rest. Counts over heart (H), liver (Liv) and subdiaphragmatic space (Sub) and image quality, and myocardial perfusion and function parameters were compared between the two protocols. Coronary angiography was performed within 2 months from MPI, and ROC analysis was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy for the detection of ≥50% diameter luminal stenosis.
  
  
  
  Quality was optimal-good in 93% of EI and 98% of LI studies (P = .12), H/Liv and stress H/Sub ratios were similar, but rest H/Sub ratio was lower in EI (P = .009). SSS [10 (0 to 46) vs 9 (0 to 36), P = .006] and SDS [3 (0 to 35) vs 2 (0 to 34), P = .02] were higher in EI protocol. LVEF, motion and thickening scores did not differ between the two protocols. A highly significant (P < .001) linear relationship with clinically negligible mean differences in Bland-Altman analysis was observed for all perfusion and function-related data. Sensitivity (EI 81%, LI 80%) and specificity (65% for both) did not differ (P = .23) between the two protocols.
  
  
  
  The fast protocol is technically feasible and diagnostically accurate compared to the established protocol in diagnostically challenging patients.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Zoodochou Pigis 54, Melissia, ZC 15127, Athens, Greece. tkatsikis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsikis
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Zoodochou Pigis 54, Melissia, ZC 15127, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theodorakos
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Zoodochou Pigis 54, Melissia, ZC 15127, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouzoumi
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Zoodochou Pigis 54, Melissia, ZC 15127, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Elpida
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kitziri
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Athens Medical University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Zoodochou Pigis 54, Melissia, ZC 15127, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutelou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D012372:ROC Curve; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds
keywords: Myocardial perfusion imaging; diagnostically challenging patients; fast protocol; tetrofosmin