Nuklearmedizin 1996; 35(05): 146-152
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1629799
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH

Assessment of Myocardial Viability in Persistent Defects on Thallium-201 SPECT after Reinjection Using Gradient-Echo MRI

A. J. Morguet
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
,
A. Kögler
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
,
H.-A. Schmitt
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
,
D. Emrich
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
,
H. Kreuzer
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
,
D. L. Munz
1   From the Department of Cardiology and Pulmonology, Center for Internal Medicine, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 13 June 1995

in revised form: 01 March 1996

Publication Date:
03 February 2018 (online)

Summary

This prospective study assessed myocardial viability in 30 patients with coronary heart disease and persistent defects despite reinjection on TI-201 single-photon computed tomography (SPECT). In each patient, three observers graded TI-201 uptake in 7 left ventricular wall segments. Gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging in the region of the persistent defect generated 12 to 16 short axis views representing a cardiac cycle. A total of 120 segments were analyzed. Mean end-diastolic wall thickness and systolic wall thickening (± SD) was 11.5 ± 2.7 mm and 5.8 ± 3.9 mm in 48 segments with normal TI-201 uptake, 10.1 ± 3.4 mm and 3.7 ± 3.1 mm in 31 with reversible lesions, 11.3 ± 2.8 mm and 3.3 ± 1.9 mm in 10 with mild persistent defects, 9.2 ± 2.9 mm and 3.2 ±2.2 mm in 15 with moderate persistent defects, 5.8 ± 1.7 mm and 1.3 ± 1.4 mm in 16 with severe persistent defects, respectively. Significant differences in mean end-diastolic wall thickness (p <0.0005) and systolic wall thickening (p <0.005) were found only between segments with severe persistent defects and all other groups, but not among the other groups. On follow-up in 11 patients after revascularization, 6 segments with mild-to-moderate persistent defects showed improvement in mean systolic wall thickening that was not seen in 6 other segments with severe persistent defects. These data indicate that most myocardial segments with mild and moderate persistent TI-201 defects after reinjection still contain viable tissue. Segments with severe persistent defects, however, represent predominantly nonviable myocardium without contractile function.

Zusammenfassung

In einer prospektiven Studie wurde bei 30 Patienten mit koronarer Herzerkrankung und persistierendem Speicherdefekt bei der TI-201-Single-Photon-Emissions-Computertomographie (SPECT) trotz Reinjektion die Myokardvitalität erfaßt. Bei jedem Patienten beurteilten drei Befunder die Tl-201-Belegung in 7 linksventrikulären Wandsegmenten. Mit Magnetresonanztomographie in Gradienten-Echo-Technik wurden 12-16 einen Herzzyklus repräsentierende Kurzachsenschnitte im Bereich des persistierenden Defekts generiert. Insgesamt wurden 120 Segmente analysiert. Die mittlere diastolische Wanddicke und die systolische Wanddickenzunahme (± Standardabweichung) lagen in 48 Segmenten mit normaler TI-201-Aufnahme bei 11,5 ± 2,7 mm bzw. 5,8 ± 3,9 mm, in 31 mit reversiblem Defekt bei 10,1 ± 3,4 mm bzw. 3,7 ± 3,1 mm, in 10 mit gering ausgeprägtem persistierendem Defekt bei 11,3 ± 2,8 mm bzw. 3,3 ± 1,9 mm, in 15 mit mäßig ausgeprägtem persistierendem Defekt bei 9,2 ± 2,9 mm bzw. 3,2 ± 2,2 mm und in 16 mit schwerem persistierendem Defekt bei 5,8 ± 1,7 mm bzw. 1,3 ± 1,4 mm. Signifikante Unterschiede in der mittleren diastolischen Wanddicke (p <0,0005) und der systolischen Wanddickenzunahme (p <0,005) wurden nur zwischen Segmenten mit schwerem persistierendem Defekt und allen anderen Gruppen gefunden, nicht jedoch zwischen den anderen Gruppen. Eine Nachuntersuchung von 11 Patienten nach Revaskularisation zeigte in 6 Segmenten mit gering bis mäßig ausgeprägtem persistierendem Defekt eine Verbesserung der mittleren systolischen Wanddickenzunahme, die in 6 anderen Segmenten mit schwerem persistierendem Defekt nicht gesehen wurde. Diese Daten weisen darauf hin, daß die meisten Myokardsegmente mit gering bis mäßig ausgeprägtem persistierendem TI-201-Defekt nach Reinjektion noch vitales Gewebe enthalten. Segmente mit schwerem persistierendem Defekt hingegen stellen überwiegend devitales Myokard ohne kontraktile Funktion dar.

 
  • REFERENCES

  • 1 Afridi I, Kleiman NS, Raizner AE, Zoghbi WA. Dobutamine echocardiography in myocardial hibernation. Optimal dose and accuracy in prediciting recovery of ventricular function after coronary angioplasty. Circulation 1995; 91: 663-70.
  • 2 Akins EW, Hill JA, Sievers KW, Conti CR. Assessment of left ventricular wall thickness in healed myocardial infarction by magnetic resonance imaging. Am J Cardiol 1987; 59: 24-8.
  • 3 Austen WG, Edwards JE, Robert RL, Gensini GG, Gott VL, Griffith LSC, McGoon DC, Murphy ML, Roe BB. A reporting system on patients evaluated for coronary artery disease. Report of the Ad Hoc Committee for Grading of Coronary Artery Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery, American Heart Association. Circulation 1975; 51: 5-40.
  • 4 Baer FM, Smolarz K, Jungehülsing M, Beck-wilm J, Theissen P, Sechtem U, Schicha H, Hilger HH. Chronic myocardial infarction: assessment of morphology, function and perfusion by gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging and Tc-99m-methoxyisobutyl-isoni-trile-SPECT. Am Heart J 1992; 123: 636-45.
  • 5 Baer FM, Smolarz K, Jungehülsing M, Theissen P, Sechtem U, Schicha H, Hilger HH. Magnetresonanztomographische Darstellung transmuraler Myokardinfarkte im Vergleich zur 99mTc-Methoxyisobutyl-Isonitril-SPECT. Z Kardiol 1992; 81: 423-31.
  • 6 Baer FM, Smolarz K, Theissen P, Voth E, Schicha H, Sechtem U. Regional 99mTc-methoxyisobutyl-isonitrile-uptake at rest in patients with myocardial infarcts: comparison with morphological and functional parameters obtained from gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging. Eur Heart J 1994; 15: 97-107.
  • 7 Baer FM, Voth E, Schneider CA, Theissen P, Schicha H, Sechtem U. Comparison of low-dose dobutamine-gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography with [18F]Fluorodeoxyglu-cose in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. A functional and morphological approach to the detection of residual myocardial viability. Circulation 1995; 91: 1006-15.
  • 8 Banka VS, Bodenheimer MM, Helfant RH. Determinants of reversible asynergy. Effect of pathologic Q waves, coronary collaterals, and anatomic location. Circulation 1974; 50: 714-9.
  • 9 Banka VS, Bodenheimer MM, Shah R, Helfant RH. Intervention ventriculography. Comparative value of nitroglycerin, post-extrasystolic potentiation and nitroglycerin plus post-extrasystolic potentiation. Circulation 1976; 53: 632-7.
  • 10 Becker LC, Levine JH, DiPaula AF, Guarnieri T, Aversano T. Reversal of dysfunction in postischemic stunned myocardium by epinephrine and postextrasystolic potentiation. J Am Coll Cardiol 1986; 7: 580-9.
  • 11 Bonow RO, Dilsizian V. Thallium-201 for assessment of myocardial viability. Semin Nucl Med 1991; 21: 230-41.
  • 12 Bonow RO, Dilsizian V, Cuocolo A, Bacharach SL. Identification of viable myocardium in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Comparison of thallium scintigraphy with reinjection and PET imaging with F-18-fluorode-oxyglucose. Circulation 1991; 83: 26-37.
  • 13 Brunken R, Tillisch J, Schwaiger M, Child JS, Marshall R, Mandelkern M, Phelps ME, Schelbert HR. Regional perfusion, glucose metabolism, and wall motion in patients with chronic electrocardiographic Q wave infarctions: evidence for persistence of viable tissue in some infarct regions by positron emission tomography. Circulation 1986; 73: 951-63.
  • 14 Brunken RC, Kottou S, Nienaber CA, Schwaiger M, Ratib OM, Phelps ME, Schelbert HR. PET detection of viable tissue in myocardial segments with persistent defects at TI-201 SPECT. Radiology 1989; 172: 65-73.
  • 15 Cuocolo A, Pace L, Ricciardelli B, Chiariello M, Trimarco B, Salvatore M. Identification of viable myocardium in patients with chronic coronary artery disease: comparison of thallium-201 scintigraphy with reinjection and technetium-99m-methoxyisobutyl isoni-trile. J Nucl Med 1992; 33: 505-11.
  • 16 Dilsizian V, Rocco TP, Freedman NMT, Leon MB, Bonow RB. Enhanced detection of ischemic but viable myocardium by the reinjection of thallium after stress-redistribution imaging. N Engl J Med 1990; 323: 141-6.
  • 17 Dilsizian V, Freedman NMT, Bacharach SL, Perrone-Filardi P, Bonow RO. Regional thallium uptake in irreversible defects. Magnitude of change in thallium activity after reinjection distinguishes viable from nonviable myocardium. Circulation 1992; 85: 627-34.
  • 18 Dyke SH, Cohn PF, Gorlin R, Sonnenblick EH. Detection of residual myocardial function in coronary artery disease using postextrasystolic potentiation. Circulation 1974; 50: 694-9.
  • 19 Fishbein MC, Maclean D, Maroleo PR. The histopathologic evolution of myocardial infarction. Chest 1978; 73: 843-9.
  • 20 Gibson RS, Watson DD, Taylor GJ, Crosby IK, Wellons HL, Holt ND, Beller GA. Prospective assessment of regional myocardial perfusion before and after coronary revascularization surgery by quantitative thallium-201 scintigraphy. J Am Coll Cardiol 1983; 1: 804-15.
  • 21 Gutman J, Berman DS, Freeman M, Rozanski A, Maddahi J, Waxman A, Swan HJC. Time to completed redistribution of thallium-201 in exercise myocardial scintigraphy: relationship to the degree of coronary artery stenosis. Am Heart J 1983; 106: 989-95.
  • 22 Hamby RI, Aintablian A, Wisoff G, Hart-stein ML. Response of the left ventricle in coronary artery disease to post-extrasystolic potentiation. Circulation 1975; 51: 428-35.
  • 23 Helfant RH, Pine R, Meister SG, Feldman MS, Trout RG, Banka VS. Nitroglycerin to unmask reversible asynergy: correlation with post-coronary bypass ventriculography. Circulation 1974; 50: 108-13.
  • 24 Higgins CB, McNamara MT. Magnetic resonance imaging of ischemic heart disease. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 1986; 28: 257-66.
  • 25 Higgins CB, Lanzer P, Stark D, Botvinick E, Schiller NB, Crooks L, Kaufman L, Lipton MJ. Imaging by nuclear magnetic resonance in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease. Circulation 1984; 69: 523-31.
  • 26 Horn HR, Teichholz LE, Cohn PF, Herman MV, Gorlin R. Augmentation of left ventricular contraction pattern in coronary artery disease by an inotropic catecholamine. The epinephrine ventriculogram. Circulation 1974; 49: 1063-71.
  • 27 Kiat H, Berman DS, Maddahi J, Yang LD, van Train K, Rozanski A, Friedman J. Late reversibility of tomographic myocardial thallium-201 defects: an accurate marker of myocardial viability. J Am Coll Cardiol 1988; 12: 1456-63.
  • 28 Kleinhans E, Altehofer C, Arnold C, Bull U, vom Dahl J, Ubis R. MRI measurements of left ventricular systolic wall thickening compared to regional myocardial perfusion as determined by TI-201 SPECT in patients with coronary artery disease. Nuklearmedizin 1991; 30: 61-6.
  • 29 Liu P, Kiess MC, Okada RD, Block PC, Strauss HW, Pohost GM, Boucher CA. The persistent defect on exercise thallium imaging and its fate after myocardial revascularization: Does it represent scar or ischemia?. Am Heart J 1985; 110: 996-1001.
  • 30 Manyari DE, Knudtson M, Kloiber R, Roth D. Sequential thallium-201 myocardial perfusion studies after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary artery angioplasty: delayed resolution of exercise induced scintigraphic abnormalities. Circulation 1988; 77: 86-95.
  • 31 McAnulty JH, Hattenhauer MT, Rosch J, Kloster FE, Rahimtoola SH. Improvement in left ventricular wall motion following nitroglycerin. Circulation 1975; 51: 140-5.
  • 32 McNeil BJ, Adelstein SJ. Determining the value of diagnostic and screening tests. J Nucl Med 1976; 17: 439-48.
  • 33 Munz DL, Morguet AJ, Sandrock D, Toman AS, Figulla HR, Kreuzer H, Emrich D. Thallium-201-Reinjektion nach Belastungs-Re-distributionsmyokardszintigraphie. Eine neue Methode zur Unterscheidung zwischen Narbe und vitalem Myokard. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 1991; 116: 361-6.
  • 34 Ohtani H, Tamaki N, Yonekura Y, Mohiud-din IH, Hirata K, Ban T, Konishi J. Value of thallium-201 reinjection after delayed SPECT imaging for predicting reversible ischemia after coronary artery bypass grafting. Am J Cardiol 1990; 66: 394-9.
  • 35 Pandian NG, Skorton DJ, Collins SM, Falsetti HL, Burke ER, Kerber RE. Heterogeneity of left ventricular segmental wall thickening and excursion in 2-dimensional echocardiograms of normal human subjects. Am J Cardiol 1983; 51: 1667-73.
  • 36 Perrone-Filardi P, Bacharach SL, Dilsizian V, Maurea S, Frank JA, Bonow RO. Regional left ventricular wall thickening. Relation to regional uptake of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose and TI-201 in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Circulation 1992; 86: 1125-37.
  • 37 Perrone-Filardi P, Bacharach SL, Dilsizian V, Maurea S, Marin-Neto JA, Arrighi JA, Frank JA, Bonow RO. Metabolic evidence of viable myocardium in regions with reduced wall thickness and absent wall thickening in patients with chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction. J Am Coll Cardiol 1992; 20: 161-8.
  • 38 Peshock RM, Rokey R, Malloy CM, Mc Namee P, Buja LM, Parkey RW, Willerson JT. Assessment of myocardial systolic wall thickening using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Coll Cardiol 1989; 14: 653-9.
  • 39 Pfeffer MA, Braunwald E. Ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Experimental observations and clinical implications. Circulation 1990; 81: 1161-72.
  • 40 Pohost GM, Henzlova MJ. The value of thallium-201 imaging. N Engl J Med 1990; 323: 190-2.
  • 41 Popio KA, Gorlin R, Bechtel D, Levine JA. Postextrasystolic potentiation as a predictor of potential myocardial viability: preoperative analyses compared with studies after coronary bypass surgery. Am J Cardiol 1977; 39: 944-53.
  • 42 Reddy SP, Curtiss EI, O’Toole JD, Matthews RG, Salerni R, Leon DF, Shaver JA. Reversibility of left ventricular asynergy by nitroglycerin in coronary artery disease. Am Heart J 1975; 90: 479-86.
  • 43 Rocco TP. Thallium-201-chloride for the detection of viable myocardium. J Nucl Med 1991; 32: 200-3.
  • 44 Rocco TP, Dilsizian V, McKusick KA, Fisch-man AJ, Boucher CA, Strauss HW. Comparison of thallium redistribution with rest “reinjection” imaging for detection of viable myocardium. Am J Cardiol 1990; 66: 158-63.
  • 45 Sechtem U, Sommerhoff BA, Markiewicz W, White RD, Cheitlin MD, Higgins CB. Regional left ventricular wall thickening by magnetic resonance imaging: evaluation in normal persons and patients with global and regional dysfunction. Am J Cardiol 1987; 59: 145-51.
  • 46 Sechtem U, Voth E, Baer F, Schneider C, Theissen P, Schicha H. Assessment of residual viability in patients with myocardial infarction using magnetic resonance techniques. Int J Card Imaging 1993; 9: 31-40.
  • 47 Sharpe N. Ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 1992; 70: 20C-6C.
  • 48 Swets JA. Indices of discrimination of diagnostic accuracy: their ROCs and implied models. Psych Bull 1986; 99: 100-17.
  • 49 Tamaki N, Yonekura Y, Yamashita K, Senda M, Saji H, Hashimoto T, Fudo T, Kambara H, Kawai C, Ban T, Konishi J. Relation of left ventricular perfusion and wall motion with metabolic activity in persistent defects on thallium-201 tomography in healed myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 1988; 62: 202-8.
  • 50 Tamaki N, Yonekura Y, Yamashita K, Saji H, Magata Y, Senda M, Konishi Y, Hirata K, Ban T, Konishi J. Positron emission tomography using fluorine-18 deoxyglucose in evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafting. Am J Cardiol 1989; 64: 860-5.
  • 51 Tamaki N, Ohtani H, Yonekura Y, Nohara R, Kambara H, Kawai C, Hirata K, Ban T, Konishi J. Significance of fill-in after thallium-201 reinjection following delayed imaging: comparison with regional wall motion and angiographic findings. J Nucl Med 1990; 31: 1617-23.
  • 52 Tillisch J, Brunken R, Marshall R, Schwaiger M, Mandelkern M, Phelps M, Schelbert H. Reversibility of cardiac wall-motion abnormalities predicted by positron tomography. N Engl J Med 1986; 314: 884-8.
  • 53 Underwood SR, Rees RSO, Savage PE, Klipstein RH, Firmin DN, Fox KM, Poole-Wilson PA, Longmore DB. Assessment of regional left ventricular function by magnetic resonance. Br Heart J 1986; 56: 334-40.
  • 54 von Schulthess GK, Fisher M, Crooks LE, Higgins CB. Gated MR imaging of the heart: intracardiac signals in patients and healthy subjects. Radiology 1985; 156: 125-32.
  • 55 White RD, Holt WW, Cheitlin MD, Cassidy MM, Ports TA, Lim AD, Botvinick EH, Higgins CB. Estimation of the functional and anatomic extent of myocardial infarction using magnetic resonance imaging. Am Heart J 1988; 115: 740-8.
  • 56 Yang LD, Berman DS, Kiat H, Resser KJ, Friedman JD, Rozanski A, Maddahi J. The frequency of late reversibility in SPECT thallium-201 stress-redistribution studies. J Am Coll Cardiol 1990; 15: 334-40.