Distributions of several agents useful in imaging myocardial infarcts.

Myocardial cell death due to infarction is accompanied by an influx of calcium ion. The calcium ion seems to localize in crystalline structures that form within mitochondria and resemble hydroxyapatite. Based on this phenomenon 99mTc-stannous pyrophosphate has been successfully used to image myocardial infarcts within 24 hr of infarction and 1 hr following tracer administration both in dogs and patient volunteers. In this report, canine distribution studies of 99m-Tc-pyrophosphate are compared with similar studies with 99mTc-stannous polyphosphate, 99mTc-stannous 1, hydroxy-ethylidene-1, 1-disodium phosphonate diphosphonate), and 18F as sodium fluoride. Pyrophosphate polyphosphate, and diphosphonate are each potentially useful in myocardial infarct imaging but bone uptake of 18F occurs sufficiently early to prevent the use of this radionuclide in infarct scintigraphy.

Acute myocardial infarction imaged with 99mTc-stannous pyrophosphate and 201Tl: a clinical evaluation.

Twenty-six patients suspected of having acute myocardial infarction (AMI) underwent myocardial scintigraphy sequentially with 201Tl and 99mTc-stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PPi). Of the 26 patients, 24 had AMI documented by enzyme and electrocardiographic changes. Nineteen had transmural and five had subendocardial myocardial infarctions. The remaining two patients had "unstable angina pectoris." The mean time from onset to imaging was 4 days. Of the 24 patients with AMI, 22 had positive 99mTc-PPi scintigrams. In 20 the area of acute myocardial damage appeared to be the same by 99mTc-PPi scintigram as by ECG; in two, the location could not be precisely determined. The two patients with negative 99mTc-PPi scintigrams at the time of combined myocardial imaging had had positive 99mTc-PPi images previously. In all 24 patients, the 201Tl images were abnormal in at least the location suggested by the electrocardiogram. In seven patients, the area of decreased 201Tl activity was grossly equal to the positive area on the 99mTc-PPi images; in 15, the 201Tl defect was definitely larger; and in two, the 201Tl defect appeared slightly smaller. Although the 99mTc-PPi and 201Tl myocardial images provide different information, both are valuable in determining the overall integrity of the myocardium in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Gated blood pool imaging following 99mTc stannous pyrophosphate imaging.

Cardiac patients who have undergone 99mTc-stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) myocardial imaging can be injected 24 hours later with 99mTc-pertechnetate (99mTc04) to assess left ventricular function. Reduction of 99mTc04 by tin remaining in the blood following the stannous pyrophosphate injection causes labeling of the red cells by 99mTc04 and the creation of a vascular tracer suitable for electrocardiographically gated imaging.