Coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: a correlative analysis - abstract

ABSTRACT

The assessment of myocardial perfusion has for many years been performed with thallous chloride (T1-201). This imaging agent suffers, however, from a number of well-recognized limitations, which has prompted a global search for better radiopharmaceuticals. Within the last two years, Technetium labelled myocardial perfusion imaging agents, namely, Sestamibi (Du Pont Pharma) and Tetrofosmin (Amersham) became available, and prompted us to evaluate the efficacy with respect to coronary angiography (CA) recently introduced at our institution. The data for both imaging agents were analyzed in fifty consecutive patients (ages 30 to 70 years), referred over the past eighteen months for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Twenty-five patients had combined MPS and CA studies. Comparative analysis for individual coronary artery territories yielded a sensitivity of 97 percent, specificity of 80 percent and an overall accuracy of 80 percent for MPS. Angiographic review of initially ascribed false positive MPS in eight patients revealed pathophysiological abnormalities other than coronary artery stenosis which accounted for the observed perfusion deficits. These included differential blood flow in two patients and myocardial bridging in one. The remaining false positives were attributed to diaphragmatic or breast attenuation (AU)