Rest technetium 99m-sestamibi tomoscintigraphy in hibernating myocardium

The myocardial uptake of rest-injected technetium 99m sestamibi on single-photon-emission computed tomographic images was assessed in 25 patients. All had an area of myocardial dysfunction that could be related to a coronary artery stenosis. None of the patients had clinical evidence of a myocardial infarction. Three months after revascularization, viability was demonstrated by contrast angiography and center-line analysis in 21 (78%) of the 27 formerly hibernating territories. Among these, none had a transmural defect, and 38% had a normal technetium 99m-sestamibi uptake. The four transmural preoperative defects were located in territories without viability. Eight of the 9 territories that were normal at scintigraphy proved to be viable postoperatively. It is concluded that as long as some residual technetium 99m-sestamibi uptake is present, viable myocardium is also present.