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Updated: Apr 14, 2026

In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Independent and incremental prognostic value of (201)Tl lung uptake at rest in patients with severe postischemic left
C Marcassa1, M Galli, C Baroffio
1Salvatore Maugeri Foundation IRCCS, Cardiology Division, Veruno (No), Italy. cmarcassa@fsm.it
Background:
An elevated (201)Tl lung uptake after stress is related to an adverse prognosis.
Methods And Results:
The functional and prognostic significance of resting (201)Tl lung uptake was assessed in 124 consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease and ejection fraction =35% undergoing rest-redistribution tomography to evaluate myocardial viability. (201)Tl lung uptake significantly correlated with pulmonary wedge pressure (r=0.66; P:<0.01) and with a restrictive physiology by Doppler echocardiography (P:<0.001). During a 13+/-13-month follow-up, 13 patients died and 23 patients required hospitalization as the result of worsening heart failure or nonfatal myocardial infarction (cumulative events rate 29%). Patients with events had a significantly higher (201)Tl lung/heart ratio (L/H) (P:<0.001). A L/H value >0.61 best separated patients with and without events (ROC area under curve 0.82). Event-free survival was significantly lower in patients with L/H >0.61 (P:<0. 001); L/H >0.61 (chi(2)=10.8; P:<0.001) and a restrictive filling pattern (chi(2)=3.6; P:<0.05) were independent predictors of events. The prognostic value of L/H was incremental over that obtained by clinical, echographic and Doppler data (global chi(2)=20.8).
Conclusions:
In patients with severe postischemic left ventricular dysfunction undergoing rest-redistribution (201)Tl imaging, an increased lung tracer uptake showed incremental prognostic value over clinical and other imaging findings, providing clinically useful risk assessment.
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