ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the significance of transient ischemic dilatation (TID) in patients with normal perfusion on adenosine stress/rest. METHODS: We analyzed 430 consecutive patients with normal perfusion on 2-day adenosine stress/rest 99mTc-sestamibi. A group of 70 patients with Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease risk < 10% was used to derive abnormal TID thresholds (derivation group). The significance of TID at these thresholds was validated in the remaining 360 patients (validation group) followed for cardiac events for 31.2 ± 9.7 (mean ± SD) months. RESULTS: Transient ischemic dilatation in the derivation group was 1.05 ± 0.13. Three definitions of an abnormal TID were used: > mean + 2SD (TID ≥ 1.32), > mean + 1SD (TID ≥ 1.19) and a TID in the group's highest quartile (TID ≥ 1.15). Of the 360 validation group patients, 12 (3.3%), 48 (13.3%) and 70 (19.4%) had TID ≥ 1.32, 1.19 and 1.15, respectively. Age, gender, family history of coronary artery disease (CAD), known CAD, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, rest LVEF, post-stress LVEF, ΔLVEF, ≥ 5% or 10% decrease in LVEF did not predict TID ≥ 1.32. However, TID ≥ 1.19 was predicted by rest LVEF and ≥ 5% decrease in LVEF (P = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively) and TID ≥ 1.15 was predicted by ≥ 5% decrease in LVEF (P = 0.02). Cardiac event-free survivals were similar in patients with a TID ≥ and < 1.32 (P = 0.68), ≥ and < 1.19 (P = 0.40) and ≥ and < 1.15 (P = 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Transient ischemic dilatation does not confer adverse prognosis in patients with normal perfusion on adenosine stress/rest 99mTc-sestamibi irrespective of the threshold used for its definition.
