Validation of early image acquisitions following Tc-99 m sestamibi injection using a semiconductors camera of cadmium-zinc-telluride.
Cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) cameras allow to decrease significantly the acquisition time of myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), but the duration of the examination is still long. Therefore, this study was performed to test the feasibility of early imaging following injection of Tc-99 m sestamibi using a CZT camera.



Seventy patients underwent both an early and a delayed image acquisition after exercise stress test (n = 30), dipyridamole stress test (n = 20), and at rest (n = 20). After injection of Tc-99 m sestamibi, the early image acquisition started on average within 5 minutes for the exercise and rest groups, and 3 minutes 30 seconds for the dipyridamole group. Two independent observers evaluated image quality and extracardiac uptake on four-point scales. The difference between early and later images for each patient was scored on a five-point scale.



The image quality and extracardiac uptake of early and delayed image acquisitions were not different for the three groups (P > .05). There was no significant difference between early and delayed image acquisitions in the exercise, dipyridamole, and rest groups, respectively, in 63%, 40%, and 80% of cases. In the exercise group and rest group, a defect was only present in early MPI, respectively, in 13% and 20% of cases. A defect was only present in delayed images in 10% of cases in the exercise group and in 45% of cases in the dipyridamole group.



There was no difference between early and later image acquisitions in terms of quality. This protocol reduces the length of the procedure for the patient. Beginning with early image acquisitions may help to overcome the artifacts that are observed at the delayed time.
European Hospital Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Nuclear Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. celine.mey@gmail.com.
Celine
C
Meyer
European Hospital Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Nuclear Medicine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
Pierre
P
Weinmann
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002104:Cadmium; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013691:Tellurium; D015032:Zinc
C474490:CdZnTe; D002104:Cadmium; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D015032:Zinc; D013691:Tellurium
SPECT; Sestamibi; cadmium-zinc-telluride; image quality; myocardial perfusion imaging