[Relationship between 123I-BMIPP imaging and cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction]

We evaluated the relationship between free fatty acid metabolism using 123I beta-methyl-iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) and cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction. Twenty-five patients were examined with 123I-BMIPP and 201Tl dual SPECT. The 123I-BMIPP images were compared with the 201Tl images and the left ventricular wall motions. The 123I-BMIPP images showed a larger uptake defect than the 201Tl images. This was marked in the patients after revascularization therapy. The uptake decrease of 123I-BMIPP was in good agreement with the decrease in regional wall motion. The incidence of accordance was 79% of the wall segments. The correlation between 123I-BMIPP defect size and ejection fraction was higher (r = -0.54) than that of 201Tl (r = -0.44). Subtraction of ejection fractions four weeks and soon after infarction correlated well with the subtraction of 123I-BMIPP and 201Tl defect sizes (r = 0.55). In conclusion, 123I-BMIPP is more closely related to wall motion, than 201Tl and might be valuable in predicting the functional improvement of acute myocardial infarction.