Evaluation of ventricular synchrony with equilibrium radionuclide angiography: assessment of variability and accuracy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA) has become an established method for assessing cardiac function. However, limited data are available to evaluate ventricular synchrony with ERNA. The aim of this study was to assess the variability and accuracy of ERNA to evaluate ventricular synchrony by means of phase images in healthy individuals and to compare them with a group of subjects with left bundle-branch block (interventricular dyssynchrony, LBBB) and with a group of patients with nonischemic, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony). METHODS: The population was divided into groups as follows: group 1 included 22 healthy subjects, group 2 included 11 patients with LBBB and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and group 3 included 14 DCM patients with LVEF <35% and LBBB. Interventricular synchrony was measured as the difference between LV mean phase angle (mPA) and RV mPA (LV-RV mPA). Intraventricular synchrony for each ventricle was measured as the standard deviation (SD) of the RV mPA and LA mPA blood pools. RESULTS: Intra- and interobserver correlation coefficients were high for both inter- and intraventricular synchrony parameters. Area under the curve (AUC) was 0.98 for LV-RV mPA (p <0.001; 95% CI: 0.947-1.0). A cutoff value of 10 degrees yielded 96% sensitivity and 99% specificity to identify interventricular dyssynchrony. AUC was high for SD RV mPA and SD LV mPA (AUC = 1.0, p <0.001; 95% CI: 1.0-1.0 and AUC = 0.99, p <0.001; 95% CI: 0.979-1.0). A cutoff value of 22 degrees for SD LV mPA yielded 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity to identify LV intraventricular dyssynchrony. A cutoff value of 20 degrees for SD RV mPA yielded 100% sensitivity and 99% specificity to identify RV intraventricular dyssynchrony. CONCLUSIONS: ERNA is an accurate and highly reproducible technique for evaluation of ventricular function and synchrony.

[Non-invasive evaluation of coronary atherosclerotic disease in patients with silent ischemia: usefulness of myocardial perfusion spect, electrical, angiographic, and imaging correlation]. / Valoración no invasiva de la enfermedad aterosclerosa coronaria en pacientes con isquemia silente: utilidad del SPECT de perfusión miocárdica. Correlación eléctrica, angiográfica y de imagen.

UNLABELLED: The objective of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging in the detection of silent ischemia. METHODS: Myocardial perfusion SPECT was performed in 184 asymptomatic patients with diagnosis of stable coronary disease. The protocol consisted of Tc-99m tetrofosmin rest/stress in one day. Coronary angiography was performed in patients with moderate to severe ischemia. The agreement among myocardial perfusion defects, ST depression, and coronary lesions was established. RESULTS: 80% of the patients were men and 20% were women, aged 60.5 +/- 10 years. The predominant risk factors were hypertension (57%), tabaquism (57%) and Diabetes Mellitus (43%). Clinical diagnoses were myocardial infarction in 77% and stable angina in 23%. The stress protocol was performed with dipyridamole in 40%, dipyridamole plus exercise in 40%, and only exercise in 20%. During the stress test all patients were asymptomatic and no evidence of ST segment changes was found in 74%. Myocardial SPECT showed necrosis in 85% of the patients, localized in the anterior descending territory (30%) and ischemia (15%) in the circumflex territory. Coronary artery disease affected the anterior descending (35%), circumflex (27%) and right coronary artery (23%). The SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging sensitivity for the detection of silent ischemia was 97%, with specificity of 97%, and predictive positive and negative value of 90% and 2%. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of chest pain and ST depression during the stress protocol were not good markers for the diagnosis of silent ischemia. Asymptomatic patients with ischemia detected in the myocardial perfusion SPECT have 3.8 more risks to have significant coronary obstructions (p < or = 0.0001).