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

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.

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.

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.

P.I. identified the cause of poor scintigraphic images to allow improved diagnoses.