title: Prognostic value of lower limb perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography in patients with lower limb atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to estimate the severity of the participants' lower limb ischemia by calculating the lower limb muscle-to-background ratio (LMBR) using lower limb perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and to evaluate the prognostic value of LMBR in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study consists of 38 patients with PAD (70 ± 12 years) and observed over 1 year who were included in the analysis. All participants underwent lower limb perfusion SPECT/CT. LMBR was calculated by dividing counts/volume in lower limb muscle by mean counts/volume of background. All patients were divided into two groups based on their LMBR value and observed for the occurrence of a major adverse event (MAE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high and low LMBR groups consisted of 26 and 12 patients, respectively. The median LMBR in the high group was 9.59 (6.11-11.87) while that in the low group was 4.35 (3.85-4.99). A significantly higher number of patients in the low LMBR group experienced MAE than in the high LMBR group (7 of 12 vs. 1 of 26, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that the LMBR derived from lower limb perfusion SPECT/CT may have a high prognostic value in patients with PAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omorinishi, Ota, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan. hidenobu.hashimoto@med.toho-u.ac.jp.|Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School Hospital, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. hidenobu.hashimoto@med.toho-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hidenobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School Hospital, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School Hospital, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin-Ichiro
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Kumita
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular and Regenerative Medicine, Nippon Medical School Hospital, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular and Regenerative Medicine, Nippon Medical School Hospital, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omorinishi, Ota, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, 6-11-1, Omorinishi, Ota, Tokyo, 143-8541, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000072098:Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Computed Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Lower limb muscle-to-blood ratio; Lower limb perfusion SPECT/CT; Peripheral artery disease; Prognosis; Risk factors