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Preliminary Data on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Rubidium-82 Cardiac PET Perfusion Imaging for the Evaluation of Ischemia in a Pediatric Population

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Abstract

Evaluation of myocardial perfusion is sometimes necessary in children with congenital heart disease or acquired coronary artery abnormalities. Limited information is available regarding the clinical utility of myocardial perfusion imaging in children. PET imaging with rubidium-82 may provide a convenient clinical means of assessing regional circulatory compromise in pediatric patients with small hearts, due to its improved spatial resolution. Clinically indicated cardiac PET studies obtained in 22 pediatric patients were reviewed by two blinded observers and assigned myocardial perfusion scores using a standard 17-segment model. PET results were correlated with coronary angiography, available in 15 cases, to determine the accuracy of PET scanning for evaluating compromise of the myocardial circulation. Reversible defects consistent with myocardial ischemia were present in 6 of 15 (40%) PET cases. The sensitivity and specificity of cardiac PET for the detection of significant coronary artery disease were 100% and 82%, respectively. The positive predictive value of cardiac PET was 67%, while the negative predictive value was 100%. Cardiac PET imaging with rubidium-82 appears promising for the noninvasive assessment of myocardial perfusion in the pediatric population. The findings from this small series suggest that prospective study in a larger patient cohort merits consideration.

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Abbreviations

PET:

Positron emission tomography

VSD:

Ventricular septal defect

SPECT:

Single photon emission computed tomography

EKG:

Electrocardiogram

BMI:

Body mass index

AS:

Aortic stenosis

LAD:

Left anterior descending artery

CX:

Circumflex artery

RCA:

Right coronary artery

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Desk F-26, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Adnan K. Chhatriwalla, Richard C. Brunken, Manuel D. Cerqueira & Wael A. Jaber

  2. Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Lourdes R. Prieto

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Richard C. Brunken, Manuel D. Cerqueira & Wael A. Jaber

  4. Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Health Sciences Center, The University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Adel Younoszai

Authors
  1. Adnan K. Chhatriwalla
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  2. Lourdes R. Prieto
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  3. Richard C. Brunken
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  4. Manuel D. Cerqueira
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  5. Adel Younoszai
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  6. Wael A. Jaber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adnan K. Chhatriwalla.

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Chhatriwalla, A.K., Prieto, L.R., Brunken, R.C. et al. Preliminary Data on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Rubidium-82 Cardiac PET Perfusion Imaging for the Evaluation of Ischemia in a Pediatric Population. Pediatr Cardiol 29, 732–738 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-008-9232-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-008-9232-1

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