Open AccessThallium‐201 single‐photon emission computed tomography: Quantitative assessment of left ventricular perfusion and structural change in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation
Author(s) -
Yasuda Harumasa,
Taniguchi Kazuhiro,
Takahashi Toshiki,
Sawa Yoshiki,
Matuda Hikaru
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960281206
Subject(s) - medicine , thallium , single photon emission computed tomography , perfusion , regurgitation (circulation) , cardiology , emission computed tomography , radiology , inorganic chemistry , chemistry
Background : Previously, perfusion defect in the left ventricle was detected by thallium‐201 ( 201 T1) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in aortic regurgitation (AR). The significance of 201 T1 SPECT, however, has not been clarified. Limited information is available regarding the relationship between functional characteristics and scintigraphic findings. Hypothesis : The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of exercise 201 T1 SPECT in assessing myocardial perfusion or structural change in chronic AR. We examined the correlation between 201 T1 scintigraphic findings and left ventricular (LV) function parameters in 11 patients. Methods : Defect volume ratio (DVR) in exercise 201 T1 SPECT was used as a parameter of the range of abnormal thallium distribution. Left ventricular parameters were obtained by right and retrograde left cardiac catheterizations. The relationship between DVR and the parameters was analyzed. Results : The DVR ranged from 1.0 to 28.3% (average 12.1 ± 8.5%). There was a significant correlation (r = 0.77, p < 0.05) between DVR and end‐diastolic volume index (EDVI), a definite correlation (r = 0.66, p < 0.01) between DVR and end‐systolic volume index (ESVI), and a good correlation (r= −0.77, p<0.05) between DVR and end‐systolic wall stress (ESS)/ESVI; however, no such correlation was found between DVR and ejection fraction. Conclusion : All patients showed abnormal defects in 201 T1 accumulation scattered across the entire ventricle. A strong correlation between DVR and ESS/ESVI, an index of myocardial contractility, was a major finding of this study, suggesting a significant association between abnormal myocardial perfusion or structural alteration and reduction in myocardial contractility in chronic AR.