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Gated myocardial perfusion tomography for the assessment of left ventricular function and volumes: comparison with
1Section of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Insights
Quantitative gated tomography shows good correlation with echocardiography for assessing left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. This supports the clinical use of gated SPECT for evaluating cardiac function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Nuclear Cardiology
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy offers simultaneous assessment of left ventricular perfusion, function, and volumes.
- Limited data exists on the accuracy of absolute left ventricular volume measurements using this technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate left ventricular volumes and function using gated SPECT with different tracers and protocols.
- To compare gated SPECT findings with quantitative echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- Gated SPECT and echocardiography were performed in 109 consecutive patients within 15 days.
- Left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction were processed using automatic algorithms for SPECT and standard techniques for echocardiography.
Main Results:
- Good to excellent correlations (r >= 0.68, P < 0.001) were observed between gated tomography and echocardiography for end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and left ventricular ejection fraction.
- End-systolic volume measurements were similar between the two methods.
- Echocardiography yielded significantly higher end-diastolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction values (P <= 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Quantitative gated tomography demonstrates good correlation with echocardiography for assessing left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction.
- The findings support the clinical utility of quantitative gated tomography for cardiac function assessment.
Unlabelled:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular volumes and function by gated SPECT using different tracers and protocols in comparison with quantitative echocardiography. Gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy permits simultaneous assessment of left ventricular perfusion, function and volumes. Information is scanty regarding the accuracy of absolute left ventricular volumes measurements by this technique.
Methods:
We performed gated SPECT and echocardiography within 15 d of each other in 109 consecutive patients (53 men, 56 women; mean age 63 +/- 14 y). Gated tomographic data, including left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction, were processed using an automatic algorithm, whereas echocardiography used standard techniques.
Results:
The correlations between gated tomography and echocardiography with respect to end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction were good to excellent (all P < 0.001, r values > or = 0.68), regardless of the use of poststress or rest/redistribution images, 201Tl or 99mTc tracers. End-systolic volume was similar with gated tomography and echocardiography (P = ns), but end-diastolic volume and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly higher with echocardiography (P < or = 0.05).
Conclusion:
Quantitative gated tomography, using either 201Tl or 99mTc tracers, has a good correlation with echocardiography for the assessment of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. These results support the clinical use of this new technique.