Pharmaceutical interviews to overcome digestive artefacts on [99m Tc]Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVES: Poor image quality was randomly seen in [99m Tc]Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion scintigraphic imaging. The interference hampered or even precluded medical interpretation. Our objective was to identify the cause of the random interferences. METHODS: Out of 40 patients planned for [99m Tc]Tc-tetrofosmin MPS, 36 presented normal tracer uptake and 4 exhibited subdiaphragmatic artefacts. Pharmaceutical interviews (P.I.) were set up to formally identify aetiologies of subdiaphragmatic uptake of [99m Tc]Tc-tetrofosmin. Patients were questioned about their diet and current drug treatments. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: P.I. led to identification of dipyridamole as the cause of the artefacts. The systematic ingestion of a solid 25-gram high-fat snack bar and a glass of fresh water was introduced immediately after the injection of dipyridamole in 12 other patients undergoing [99m Tc]Tc-tetrofosmin MPS. None of the 12 patients presented subdiaphragmatic artefacts. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: P.I. identified the cause of poor scintigraphic images to allow improved diagnoses.