[123I-BMIPP whole-body scintigraphy in relation to left ventricular ejection fraction]

Heart uptake and clearance of 123I-15-(p-iodophenyl)-3(R,S)-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) by whole-body scintigraphy in relation to left ventricular injection fraction (LVEF) was evaluated in 19 patients with myocardial infarction. At 45 and 210 min after injection, anterior whole-body images were obtained with a single-headed gamma camera system. In each patient, gated blood pool scintigraphy was also performed, and LVEF was calculated. Percent washout from the heart from the 45 to the 210 min imaging positively correlated with LVEF (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), although percent uptake and count density of the heart at 45 min imaging did show any positive correlation with LVEF (r = -0.10 and r = 0.35, respectively). The count density did not correlated with the percent washout (r = 0.32, p = 0.18). Thus, some relationship between LVEF and washout rate of BMIPP from the heart was suggested by analysis of BMIPP whole-body scintigraphy in patients with myocardial infarction.