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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Post-Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure in Closed-chest Coronary Occlusion/Reperfusion Model in Göttingen Minipigs and Landrace Pigs
Published on: April 17, 2021
Myocardial perfusion imaging after transient balloon occlusion during percutaneous coronary interventions
Raed Aqel1, Gilbert J Zoghbi, Luvenia W Bender
1Birmingham VA Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala 35294, USA.
Background:
Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is highly sensitive in detecting rest ischemia when the radiotracer is injected during the episode of ischemia. The frequency of abnormal MPI results after resolution of ischemia is not well defined. The aim of this study was to determine how long MPI results remain abnormal after transient coronary artery occlusion.
Methods And Results:
Patients undergoing single-vessel percutaneous coronary intervention were injected with technetium 99m sestamibi at 30 to 60 minutes (group 1) (n = 20) or 90 to 120 minutes (group 2) (n = 10) after the last balloon inflation and 24 hours later. There were 30 men aged 59 +/- 8 years. The culprit vessel was the left anterior descending artery in 14 patients and the right coronary artery in 13. The diameter stenosis was reduced from 76.1% +/- 8.7% to 3.0% +/- 6.4% (P < .001). The duration of balloon inflation was 40.3 +/- 12.5 seconds. Chest pain or ST shifts occurred in 66% of patients. A perfusion defect in the territory of the culprit artery was detected in 3 of 20 patients (15%) in group 1 and in 0 of 10 patients (0%) in group 2 (P = .3). One of those three patients had a perfusion defect on MPI done 24 hours later, along with a regional wall motion abnormality on the 2 sets of images.
Conclusions:
Abnormal perfusion is seen in a small percentage of patients at 30 to 60 minutes and in none at 90 to 120 minutes after a brief transient balloon occlusion. These results might have important implications in patient care.
Insights
Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) may remain abnormal for up to 30-60 minutes after transient ischemia. However, MPI results normalize by 90-120 minutes, indicating resolution of perfusion defects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is sensitive for detecting ischemia during an event.
- The duration of abnormal MPI findings after ischemia resolution is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how long MPI results remain abnormal following transient coronary artery occlusion.
Main Methods:
- Technetium 99m sestamibi MPI was performed 30-60 minutes (Group 1) and 90-120 minutes (Group 2) after transient balloon occlusion in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
- MPI was also performed 24 hours later.
Main Results:
- Perfusion defects were observed in 15% of patients in Group 1 (30-60 min post-occlusion).
- No perfusion defects were detected in Group 2 (90-120 min post-occlusion).
- One patient in Group 1 showed a persistent defect at 24 hours with wall motion abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal myocardial perfusion is detected in a minority of patients within 30-60 minutes after brief ischemia.
- MPI findings normalize by 90-120 minutes post-ischemia.
- These findings have potential implications for patient management and timing of diagnostic tests.
