The Role of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Left-sided Endocarditis: Native vs Prosthetic Valves Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) has emerged as a useful diagnostic tool for suspected infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with prosthetic valves or implantable devices. However, there is limited evidence regarding use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for the diagnosis of native valve endocarditis (NVE). METHODS: Between 2014 and 2017, 303 episodes of left-sided suspected IE (188 prosthetic valves/ascending aortic prosthesis and 115 native valves) were studied. 18F-FDG-PET/CT accuracy was determined in the subgroups of patients with NVE and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE)/ascending aortic prosthesis infection (AAPI). Associations between inflammatory infiltrate patterns and 18F-FDG-PET/CT uptake were investigated in an exploratory ad hoc histological analysis. RESULTS: Among 188 patients with PVE/AAPI, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 18F-FDG-PET/CT focal uptake were 93%, 90%, 89%, and 94%, respectively, while among 115 patients with NVE, the corresponding values were 22%, 100%, 100%, and 66%. The inclusion of abnormal 18F-FDG cardiac uptake as a major criterion at admission enabled a recategorization of 76% (47/62) of PVE/AAPI cases initially classified as "possible" to "definite" IE. In the histopathological analysis, a predominance of polymorphonuclear cell inflammatory infiltrate and a reduced extent of fibrosis were observed in the PVE group only. CONCLUSIONS: Use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT at the initial presentation of patients with suspected PVE increases the diagnostic capability of the modified Duke criteria. In patients who present with suspected NVE, the use of 18F-FDG-PET/CT is less accurate and could only be considered a complementary diagnostic tool for a specific population of patients with NVE.

Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography staging can replace bone marrow biopsy in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Results from Brazilian Hodgkin's Lymphoma Study Group

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate, in a large prospective multicenter study, whether 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography is sufficiently accurate to identify clinically important bone marrow involvement by Hodgkin's lymphoma to replace routine bone marrow biopsy in a developing tropical country. Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma were recruited from six cancer centers in Brazil. All were staged by the results of positron emission tomography/computed tomography that were centrally reviewed and by iliac crest bone marrow biopsy. Patients were classified as having marrow disease if they had lymphoma identified by marrow biopsy histology or had focal 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose marrow uptake that resolved following chemotherapy. Results: A total of 246 participants were recruited from six different centers and 62 (25.2%) were judged to have Hodgkin's lymphoma in the bone marrow. Positron emission tomography and biopsies were concordant in 206 patients (83%). Positron emission tomography correctly identified marrow disease in 59/62 patients (95.1%) and marrow biopsy in 25/62 patients (40.3%). In 22/62 (35.4%) patients, the two techniques were concordant in the diagnosis of marrow involvement. Of the forty discordant results, positron emission tomography found bone marrow involvement in 37 patients, upstaging 22 to stage IV and having an impact on therapeutic decision in nine cases given their reallocation from early to advanced stage. Three false negative positron emission tomography results were obtained with bone marrow biopsy giving positive findings. All three cases were classified as stage IV regardless of bone marrow findings implying no modification in the clinical management. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of positron emission tomography for detecting bone marrow disease were 95%, 100% and 98% and for bone marrow biopsy they were 40%, 100% and 84%, respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that positron emission tomography can replace marrow biopsy in Brazilian patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma without compromising clinical management.

Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography staging can replace bone marrow biopsy in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Results from Brazilian Hodgkin's Lymphoma Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate, in a large prospective multicenter study, whether 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography is sufficiently accurate to identify clinically important bone marrow involvement by Hodgkin's lymphoma to replace routine bone marrow biopsy in a developing tropical country. METHODS: Patients newly diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma were recruited from six cancer centers in Brazil. All were staged by the results of positron emission tomography/computed tomography that were centrally reviewed and by iliac crest bone marrow biopsy. Patients were classified as having marrow disease if they had lymphoma identified by marrow biopsy histology or had focal 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose marrow uptake that resolved following chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 246 participants were recruited from six different centers and 62 (25.2%) were judged to have Hodgkin's lymphoma in the bone marrow. Positron emission tomography and biopsies were concordant in 206 patients (83%). Positron emission tomography correctly identified marrow disease in 59/62 patients (95.1%) and marrow biopsy in 25/62 patients (40.3%). In 22/62 (35.4%) patients, the two techniques were concordant in the diagnosis of marrow involvement. Of the forty discordant results, positron emission tomography found bone marrow involvement in 37 patients, upstaging 22 to stage IV and having an impact on therapeutic decision in nine cases given their reallocation from early to advanced stage. Three false negative positron emission tomography results were obtained with bone marrow biopsy giving positive findings. All three cases were classified as stage IV regardless of bone marrow findings implying no modification in the clinical management. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of positron emission tomography for detecting bone marrow disease were 95%, 100% and 98% and for bone marrow biopsy they were 40%, 100% and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We conclude that positron emission tomography can replace marrow biopsy in Brazilian patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma without compromising clinical management.

Myocardial perfusion in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: comparison between 320-MDCT and rubidium-82 PET.

OBJECTIVES: Despite advances in non-invasive myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) evaluation, computed tomography (CT) multiphase MPI protocols have not yet been compared with the highly accurate rubidium-82 positron emission tomography (82RbPET) MPI. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate agreement between 82RbPET and 320-detector row CT (320-CT) MPI using a multiphase protocol in suspected CAD patients. METHODS: Forty-four patients referred for MPI evaluation were prospectively enrolled and underwent dipyridamole stress 82RbPET and multiphase 320-CT MPI (five consecutive volumetric acquisitions during stress). Statistical analyses were performed using the R software. RESULTS: There was high agreement for recognizing summed stress scores ≥ 4 (kappa 0.77, 95% CI 0.55-0.98, p < 0.001) and moderate for detecting SDS ≥ 2 (kappa 0.51, 95% CI 0.23-0.80, p < 0.001). In a per segment analysis, agreement was high for the presence of perfusion defects during stress and rest (kappa 0.75 and 0.82, respectively) and was moderate for impairment severity (kappa 0.58 and 0.65, respectively). The 320-CT protocol was safe, with low radiation burden (9.3 ± 2.4 mSv). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant agreement between dipyridamole stress 320-CT MPI and 82RbPET MPI in the evaluation of suspected CAD patients of intermediate risk. The multiphase 320-CT MPI protocol was feasible, diagnostic and with relatively low radiation exposure. KEY POINTS: • Rubidium-82 PET and 320-MDCT can perform MPI studies for CAD investigation. • There is high agreement between rubidium-82 PET and 320-MDCT for MPI assessment. • Multiphase CT perfusion protocols are feasible and with low radiation. • Multiphase CT perfusion protocols can identify image artefacts.

Left ventricular function in response to dipyridamole stress: head-to-head comparison between 82Rubidium PET and 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT ECG-gated myocardial perfusion imaging.

PURPOSE: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with 99mTc-sestamibi (sestamibi) SPECT and rubidium-82 (82Rb) PET both allow for combined assessment of perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function. We sought to compare parameters of LV function obtained with both methods using a single dipyridamole stress dose. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 221 consecutive patients (65.2 ± 10.4 years, 52.9% male) underwent consecutive sestamibi and 82Rb MPI after a single dipyridamole stress dose. Sestamibi and 82Rb summed rest (SRS), stress (SSS) and difference (SDS) scores, and LV end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic (ESV) volumes and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were compared. RESULTS: Bland-Altman analysis showed that with increasing ESV and EDV the difference between the two perfusion tracers increased both at rest and post-stress. The mean difference in EDV and ESV between the two perfusion tracers at rest could both be independently explained by the 82Rb SDS and the sestamibi SRS. The combined models explained approximately 30% of the variation in these volumes between the two perfusion tracers (R2 = 0.261, p = 0.005; R2 = 0.296, p < 0.001, for EDV and ESV respectively). However, the mean difference in LVEF between sestamibi and 82Rb showed no significant trend post-stress (R2 = 0.001, p = 0.70) and only a modest linear increase with increasing LVEF values at rest (R2 = 0.032, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in left ventricular volumes between sestamibi and 82Rb MPI increase with increasing volumes. However, these differences did only marginally affect LVEF between sestamibi and 82Rb. In clinical practice these results should be taken into account when comparing functional derived parameters between sestamibi and 82Rb MPI.

Calculation of Cardiac Kinetic Energy Index from PET images.

Cardiac function can be assessed from displacement measurements in imaging modalities from nuclear medicine Using positron emission tomography (PET) image sequences with Rubidium-82, we propose and estimate the total Kinetic Energy Index (KEf) obtained from the velocity field, which was calculated using 3D optical flow(OF) methods applied over the temporal image sequence. However, it was found that the brightness of the image varied unexpectedly between frames, violating the constant brightness assumption of the OF method and causing large errors in estimating the velocity field. Therefore total brightness was equalized across image frames and the adjusted configuration tested with rest perfusion images acquired from individuals with normal (n=30) and low (n=33) cardiac function. For these images KEf was calculated as 0.5731±0.0899 and 0.3812±0.1146 for individuals with normal and low cardiac function respectively. The ability of KEf to properly classify patients into the two groups was tested with a ROC analysis, with area under the curve estimated as 0.906. To our knowledge this is the first time that KEf has been applied to PET images.

Combined PET and biopsy evidence of marrow involvement improves prognostic prediction in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

UNLABELLED: Bone marrow is an important extranodal site in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and marrow histology has been incorporated into the new National Comprehensive Cancer Network international prognostic index. Marrow involvement demonstrated histologically confers poor prognosis but is identified by staging PET in more cases. How information from staging PET and biopsy should be combined to optimize outcome prediction remains unclear. METHODS: The International Atomic Energy Agency sponsored a prospective international cohort study to better define the use of PET in DLBCL. As a planned subsidiary analysis, we examined the interplay of marrow involvement identified by PET and biopsy on clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Eight countries contributed 327 cases with a median follow-up of 35 mo. The 2-y outcomes of cases with no evidence of marrow involvement (n = 231) were 81% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76%-86%) for event-free survival (EFS) and 88% (83%-91%) for overall survival (OS); cases identified only on PET (n = 61), 81% (69%-89%) for EFS and 88% (77%-94%) for OS; cases indentified only on biopsy (n = 10), 80% (41%-95%) for EFS and 100% for OS; or cases identified by both PET and biopsy (n = 25), 45% (25%-64%) for EFS and 55% (32%-73%) for OS. The hazard ratios for PET-negative/biopsy-negative cases versus PET-positive/biopsy-positive cases were 2.67 (95% CI, 1.48-4.79) for EFS and 3.94 (1.93-8.06) for OS. CONCLUSION: This large study demonstrates that positive iliac crest biopsy histology only confers poor prognosis for patients who also have abnormal marrow (18)F-FDG uptake identified on the staging PET scan. Abnormal (18)F-FDG uptake in marrow, when iliac crest biopsy histology is normal, has no adverse effect on outcomes.

Influence of the arm position in myocardial perfusion imaging acquisition.

OBJECTIVE: despite the technologic advances in myocardial perfusion imaging, we keep using an uncomfortable and sometimes impracticable patient position - supine with arms raised above the head (U). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether perfusion and functional cardiac gated SPECT scan results of acquisition U are equivalent to another position modality: supine with arms down at the sides of the trunk (D). METHODS AND RESULTS: we performed U acquisition and in sequence D acquisition in 120 patients (pts) using a one-day MPI (rest-gated/stress), with 99mTc-sestamibi (370 MBq and 1110 MBq). Images were processed by the iterative reconstruction method (OSEM). Rest (R) and stress (S) studies were scored using 17-segments model. Functional parameters (left ventricular ejection fraction, and volumes) were automatically obtained by the quantitative gated SPECT (QGS) program. According to the degree of stress defects observed in U study, the patients were categorized in two subgroups: normal (SSS ≤ 3 or < 5%) and abnormal (SSS>3 or ≥ 5%). Shoulder/back pain occurred in 23.3% of U patients and in 5% of D. No significant differences between U and D were found for SSS (p = 0.82) and SRS (p = 0.74) in normal group. In abnormal group, good correlation was found between U and D modes for SSS (Rho = 0.95, p = 0.0001) and SRS (Rho = 0.96 p = 0.0001), but the mean SSS (12.53 ± 7.54) and SRS (10.60 ± 7.08) values of D were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than SSS (13.43 ± 6.81) and SRS (11.33 ± 6.97) of U mode. Function measurements presented good correlations, except for end-diastolic volume (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: although D mode appears to be more comfortable and presented a good correlation with U values of SSS and SRS, in abnormal pts, the extent and severity of defects can be underestimated. Considering clinical implications of an accurate perfusion measurement, the acquisition with the arms down should be avoided.

Investigation Route of the Coronary Patient in the Public Health System in Curitiba, São Paulo and in Incor - IMPACT Study / Itinerário de Investigação do Paciente Coronariano do SUS em Curitiba, São Paulo e Incor - Estudo IMPACT

Background: The investigation of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and its treatment depend on risk stratification for decision-making on the need for cardiac catheterization and revascularization. Objective: To analyze the procedures used in the diagnosis and invasive treatment of patients with CAD, at the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) in the cities of Curitiba, São Paulo and at InCor-FMUSP. Methods: Retrospective, descriptive, observational study of the diagnostic and therapeutic itineraries of the Brazilian public health care system patient, between groups submitted or not to prior noninvasive tests to invasive cardiac catheterization. Stress testing, stress echocardiography, perfusion scintigraphy, catheterization and percutaneous or surgical revascularization treatment procedures were quantified and the economic impact of the used strategies. Results: There are significant differences in the assessment of patients with suspected or known CAD in the metropolitan region in the three scenarios. Although functional testing procedures are most often used the direct costs of these procedures differ significantly (6.1% in Curitiba, 20% in São Paulo and 27% in InCor-FMUSP). Costs related to the procedures and invasive treatments represent 59.7% of the direct costs of SUS in São Paulo and 87.2% in Curitiba. In InCor-FMUSP, only 24.3% of patients with stable CAD submitted to CABG underwent a noninvasive test before the procedure. Conclusion: Although noninvasive functional tests are the ones most often requested for the assessment of patients with suspected or known CAD most of the costs are related to invasive procedures/treatments. In most revascularized patients, the documentation of ischemic burden was not performed by SUS. .

Fundamento: A investigação da doença arterial coronariana (DAC) estável e seu tratamento dependem da estratificação de risco para a decisão sobre a necessidade de cateterismo cardíaco e revascularização. Objetivo: Analisar os procedimentos utilizados no diagnóstico e tratamento invasivo dos pacientes com DAC do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) nos municípios de Curitiba, São Paulo e no IIncor- FMUSP. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo, descritivo, observacional dos itinerários diagnósticos e terapêuticos dos pacientes do SUS, entre os grupos submetidos ou não a testes não invasivos prévios ao cateterismo cardíaco invasivo. Foram quantificados os procedimentos de teste ergométrico, ecocardiograma de estresse, cintilografia de perfusão, cateterismo e tratamento com revascularização percutânea ou cirúrgica e o impacto econômico destas estratégias utilizadas. Resultados: Existem diferenças importantes na avaliação do paciente com DAC suspeita ou conhecida nos três cenários. Apesar dos testes funcionais serem os procedimentos mais frequentemente utilizados, os custos diretos referentes a esses procedimentos diferem significativamente (6,1% em Curitiba, 20% em São Paulo e 27% no Incor-FMUSP). Os custos relacionados aos procedimentos e tratamentos invasivos representam 59,7% dos custos diretos do SUS em São Paulo e 87,2% em Curitiba. No Incor-FMUSP, apenas 24,3% dos pacientes com DAC estável submetidos à revascularização foram submetidos a um teste não invasivo antes do procedimento. Conclusão: Apesar dos testes funcionais não invasivos serem os exames mais frequentemente solicitados na avaliação de pacientes com DAC suspeita ou conhecida, a maior parte dos custos está relacionada a procedimento/tratamento ...

Investigation route of the coronary patient in the public health system in Curitiba, São Paulo and in InCor--IMPACT study.

BACKGROUND: The investigation of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and its treatment depend on risk stratification for decision-making on the need for cardiac catheterization and revascularization. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the procedures used in the diagnosis and invasive treatment of patients with CAD, at the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) in the cities of Curitiba, São Paulo and at InCor-FMUSP. METHODS: Retrospective, descriptive, observational study of the diagnostic and therapeutic itineraries of the Brazilian public health care system patient, between groups submitted or not to prior noninvasive tests to invasive cardiac catheterization. Stress testing, stress echocardiography, perfusion scintigraphy, catheterization and percutaneous or surgical revascularization treatment procedures were quantified and the economic impact of the used strategies. RESULTS: There are significant differences in the assessment of patients with suspected or known CAD in the metropolitan region in the three scenarios. Although functional testing procedures are most often used the direct costs of these procedures differ significantly (6.1% in Curitiba, 20% in São Paulo and 27% in InCor-FMUSP). Costs related to the procedures and invasive treatments represent 59.7% of the direct costs of SUS in São Paulo and 87.2% in Curitiba. In InCor-FMUSP, only 24.3% of patients with stable CAD submitted to CABG underwent a noninvasive test before the procedure. CONCLUSION: Although noninvasive functional tests are the ones most often requested for the assessment of patients with suspected or known CAD most of the costs are related to invasive procedures/treatments. In most revascularized patients, the documentation of ischemic burden was not performed by SUS.

Influence of the arm position in myocardial perfusion imaging acquisition / Influência da posição dos braços na aquisição da cintilografia do miocárdio

Objective: despite the technologic advances in myocardial perfusion imaging, we keep using an uncomfortable and sometimes impracticable patient position - supine with arms raised above the head (U). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether perfusion and functional cardiac gated SPECT scan results of acquisition U are equivalent to another position modality: supine with arms down at the sides of the trunk (D). Methods and Results: we performed U acquisition and in sequence D acquisition in 120 patients (pts) using a one-day MPI (rest-gated/stress), with 99mTc-sestamibi (370 MBq and 1110 MBq). Images were processed by the iterative reconstruction method (OSEM). Rest (R) and stress (S) studies were scored using 17-segments model. Functional parameters (left ventricular ejection fraction, and volumes) were automatically obtained by the quantitative gated SPECT (QGS) program. According to the degree of stress defects observed in U study, the patients were categorized in two subgroups: normal (SSS ≤ 3 or < 5%) and abnormal (SSS>3 or ≥ 5%). Shoulder/back pain occurred in 23.3% of U patients and in 5% of D. No significant differences between U and D were found for SSS (p = 0.82) and SRS (p = 0.74) in normal group. In abnormal group, good correlation was found between U and D modes for SSS (Rho = 0.95, p = 0.0001) and SRS (Rho = 0.96 p = 0.0001), but the mean SSS (12.53 ± 7.54) and SRS (10.60 ± 7.08) values of D were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than SSS (13.43 ± 6.81) and SRS (11.33 ± 6.97) of U mode. Function measurements presented good correlations, except for end-diastolic volume (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: although D mode appears to be more comfortable and presented a good correlation with U values of SSS and SRS, in abnormal pts, the extent and severity of defects can be underestimated. Considering clinical implications of an accurate perfusion measurement, the acquisition with the ...

Objetivo: no estudo de perfusão miocárdica, apesar dos avanços tecnológicos, continuamos utilizando o desconfortável e às vezes impraticável posicionamento em decúbito dorsal com braços acima da cabeça (U). O objetivo do estudo foi investigar se os resultados da perfusão e da função cardíacas obtidos com a aquisição U são equivalentes ao de outra modalidade de posição: com braços para baixo nas laterais do tronco (D). Métodos e resultados: adquirida a aquisição U, na sequência foi realizada a aquisição D em 120 pacientes (pts) em um único dia (repouso e estresse sincronizado ao ECG), com 99mTc-sestamibi (370 MBq e 1110 MBq). As imagens foram processadas usando reconstrução iterativa (OSEM). Cada estudo foi quantificado usando o modelo de 17-segmentos ao repouso (R) e ao estresse (S). Os parâmetros funcionais (fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo e volumes) foram obtidas automaticamente pelo programa gated SPECT quantitativa (QGS). De acordo com a dimensão da alteração perfusional no estresse na aquisição U, os pacientes foram classificados em dois subgrupos: 80 pts normais (SSS ≤ 3 ou < 5%) e 40 pts anormais (SSS > 3 ou ≥ 5%). Dor no ombro e/ou nas costas ocorreu em 23,3% dos pacientes de U e em 5% de D. Não houve diferenças significativas entre U e D quanto ao SSS (p = 0,82) e SRS (p = 0,74) no grupo normal. No grupo anormal, boa correlação foi encontrada entre U e D para SSS (Rho = 0,95, p = 0,0001) e SRS (Rho = 0,96 p = 0,0001), entretanto a média dos valores de SSS (12,53 ± 7,54) e SRS (10,60 ± 7,08 ) de D foram significativamente menores (p < 0,05) que o SSS (13,43 ± 6,81) e SRS (11,33 ± 6,97) de U. As medidas de função apresentaram boas correlações, ...

Low-carbohydrate diet versus euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp for the assessment of myocardial viability with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET: a pilot study.

Positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) is considered the gold standard for myocardial viability. A pilot study was undertaken to compare FDG-PET using euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp before (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) administration (PET-CLAMP) with a new proposed technique consisting of a 24-h low-carbohydrate diet before (18)F-FDG injection (PET-DIET), for the assessment of hypoperfused but viable myocardium (hibernating myocardium). Thirty patients with previous myocardial infarction were subjected to rest (99m)Tc-sestamibi-SPECT and two (18)F-FDG studies (PET-CLAMP and PET-DIET). Myocardial tracer uptake was visually scored using a 5-point scale in a 17-segment model. Hibernating myocardium was defined as normal or mildly reduced metabolism ((18)F-FDG uptake) in areas with reduced perfusion ((99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake) since (18)F-FDG uptake was higher than the degree of hypoperfusion-perfusion/metabolism mismatch indicating a larger flow defect. PET-DIET identified 79 segments and PET-CLAMP 71 as hibernating myocardium. Both methods agreed in 61 segments (agreement = 94.5 %, κ = 0.78). PET-DIET identified 230 segments and PET-CLAMP 238 as nonviable. None of the patients had hypoglycemia after DIET, while 20 % had it during CLAMP. PET-DIET compared with PET-CLAMP had a good correlation for the assessment of hibernating myocardium. To our knowledge, these data provide the first evidence of the possibility of myocardial viability assessment with this technique.

Medicina nuclear: viabilidade miocárdica e aplicação de PET-CT / Nuclear medicine: myocardyal viability and application of PET-CT

A insuficiência coronariana crônica associada à disfunção de ventrículo esquerdo resulta em uma população especial para a qual a revascularização pode significar importante melhora regional ou global na função ventricular, assim como na melhora dos sintomas e potencial alteração da história natural da doença. O prognóstico desse tipo de paciente continua pobre, apesar dos avanços terapêuticos. Considerando que a conduta clínica ou intervencionista é fundamental reconhecer a presença de miocárdio viável e a funcionalidade cardíaca, discutimos uma metodologia atual, moderna, baseada em estudos institucionais e também internacionais na área de medicina nuclear com SPECT e PET-CT.

The chronic coronary insufficiency associated with dysfunction of the left ventricle, resulting in a special population that revascularization can mean significant improvement in global or regional ventricular function as well as improving symptoms and potential modification of the natural history of the disease. The prognosis of such patients remains poor despite therapeutic advances. Whereas, the clinical or interventional decision is essential to recognize the presence of viable myocardium and cardiac function. We discuss a current methodology, modern, based in institutional studies and also in the international experience with nuclear medicine SPECT and PET-CT.

A tomografia por emissão de pósitrons com 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-desoxi-D-glicose é custo-efetiva em pacientes com câncer de pulmão não pequenas células no Brasil / 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron-emission tomography is cost-effective in the initial staging of non-small cell lung cancer patients in Brazil

OBJETIVO: Comparar a acurácia e a custo-efetividade do estadiamento metabólico (EM) com o FDG-PET em relação ao estadiamento convencional (EC) no estadiamento inicial de pacientes com câncer de pulmão não pequenas células (CPNPC). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Noventa e cinco pacientes com diagnóstico inicial de CPNPC foram estadiados antes do início do tratamento. Os resultados do EC e EM foram comparados quanto a definição do tratamento e incidência de toracotomia fútil em cada estratégia. RESULTADOS: O EM com FDG-PET classificou 48,4% dos pacientes como estádio mais avançado e 5,3% como menos avançado. O resultado do EM modificaria o tratamento em 41% dos pacientes. A toracotomia foi considerada fútil em 47% dos pacientes com EC e em 19% dos casos com EM. O custo das toracotomias fúteis em oito pacientes no EM foi de R$ 79.720, enquanto em 31 pacientes no EC seria de R$ 308.915. Apenas esta economia seria mais que suficiente para cobrir os custos de todos os exames de FDG-PET nos 95 pacientes (R$ 126.350) ou de FDG-PET/CT (R$ 193.515). CONCLUSÃO: O EM com FDG-PET tem maior acurácia que o EC em pacientes com CPNPC. A FDG-PET e FDG-PET/CT são custo-efetivas e sua utilização se justifica economicamente na saúde pública no Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of metabolic staging (MS) with FDG-PET as compared with the conventional staging (CS) strategy in the preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 95 patients with initial diagnosis of NSCLC were staged before undergoing treatment. The MS and CS results were compared with regard to treatment definition and incidence of futile thoracotomies with both strategies. RESULTS: Metabolic staging with FDG-PET upstaged 48.4% and downstaged 5.3% of the patients, and would lead to change in the treatment of 41% of cases. Thoracotomy was considered as futile in 47% of the patients with CS, and in 19% of the patients with MS. The cost of futile thoracotomies in eight patients with MS was R$ 79,720, while in 31 patients with CS it would be R$ 308,915. Just such saving in costs would be more than enough to cover the costs of all FDG-PETs (R$ 126,350) or FDG-PET/CTs (R$ 193,515) for the 95 patients. CONCLUSION: The metabolic staging with FDG-PET is more accurate than CS in patients with NSCLC. Both FDG-PET and FDG-PET/CT are cost-effective methods and their utilization is economically justifiable in the Brazilian public health system.