Related Experiment Videos
[Assessment of right ventricular function using gated blood pool single photon emission computed tomography in
1Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
Insights
Inferior myocardial infarction often impacts right ventricular function, even without clear symptoms. Gated SPECT (GSPECT) reliably assesses right ventricular function and aids in diagnosing right ventricular infarction (RVI).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Inferior myocardial infarction (MI) can affect right ventricular (RV) function.
- Right ventricular infarction (RVI) may occur even without obvious hemodynamic signs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess right ventricular function in patients with inferior MI using GSPECT.
- To determine the prevalence of RVI in inferior MI patients.
Main Methods:
- Gated blood pool single-photon emission computed tomography (GSPECT) was used.
- 10 healthy subjects and 14 inferior MI patients were studied.
- 3D background subtraction and RV function indices (RVEF, RVPER, RVPFR) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- RV function indices were significantly reduced in all inferior MI patients compared to controls.
- Reduced RV function was observed in patients with and without definite RVI.
- Right ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities were identified via GSPECT.
Conclusions:
- Inferior MI frequently associates with RVI, particularly with proximal right coronary artery obstruction.
- GSPECT is a reliable tool for evaluating RV function and diagnosing RVI.
- RV dysfunction can be present in inferior MI patients without overt hemodynamic signs of RVI.
Abstract:
Right ventricular function was assessed using gated blood pool single photon emission computed tomography (GSPECT) in 10 normal subjects and 14 patients with inferior myocardial infarction. Three-dimensional background subtraction was achieved by applying an optimal cut off level. The patient group consisted of 6 patients with definite hemodynamic abnormalities indicative of right ventricular infarction (RVI) and 8 other patients with significant obstructive lesion at the proximal portion of right coronary artery without obvious hemodynamic signs of RVI. Right ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities were demonstrated on GSPECT functional images and the indices of right ventricular function (i.e. the right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), the right ventricular peak ejection rate (RVPER) and the right ventricular peak filling rate (RVPFR)) were significantly reduced in the patient group, not only in the patients with definite RVI but also in those without hemodynamic signs of RVI. The present study indicates that inferior infarction is frequently associated with RVI, even in the absence of definite hemodynamic signs, when the proximal portion of right coronary artery is obstructed. It is concluded that GSPECT is reliable for the assessment of right ventricular function and regional wall motion, and is also useful for the diagnosis of RVI.