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Assessment of poststress left ventricular ejection fraction by gated SPECT: comparison with equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We compared left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction obtained by gated SPECT with that obtained by equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography in a large cohort of patients.

Methods

Within 1 week, 514 subjects with suspected or known coronary artery disease underwent same-day stress–rest 99mTc-sestamibi gated SPECT and radionuclide angiocardiography. For both studies, data were acquired 30 min after completion of exercise and after 3 h rest.

Results

In the overall study population, a good correlation between ejection fraction measured by gated SPECT and by radionuclide angiocardiography was observed at rest (r=0.82, p<0.0001) and after stress (r=0.83, p<0.0001). In Bland-Altman analysis, the mean differences in ejection fraction (radionuclide angiocardiography minus gated SPECT) were −0.6% at rest and 1.7% after stress. In subjects with normal perfusion (n=362), a good correlation between ejection fraction measured by gated SPECT and by radionuclide angiocardiography was observed at rest (r=0.72, p<0.0001) and after stress (r=0.70, p<0.0001) and the mean differences in ejection fraction were −0.9% at rest and 1.4% after stress. Also in patients with abnormal perfusion (n=152), a good correlation between the two techniques was observed both at rest (r=0.89, p<0.0001) and after stress (r=0.90, p<0.0001) and the mean differences in ejection fraction were 0.1% at rest and 2.5% after stress.

Conclusion

In a large study population, a good agreement was observed in the evaluation of LV ejection fraction between gated SPECT and radionuclide angiocardiography. However, in patients with perfusion abnormalities, a slight underestimation in poststress LV ejection fraction was observed using gated SPECT as compared to equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomorphological and Functional Sciences, Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, National Council of Research, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

    Wanda Acampa, Maria Grazia Caprio, Raffaele Liuzzi, Serena De Luca, Enza Capasso, Luca Luongo & Alberto Cuocolo

  2. SDN Foundation, Institute of Diagnostic and Nuclear Development, Naples, Italy

    Maria Grazia Caprio & Emanuele Nicolai

  3. Department of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular and Immunological Sciences, University Federico II, Naples, Italy

    Mario Petretta

Authors
  1. Wanda Acampa
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  2. Maria Grazia Caprio
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  3. Emanuele Nicolai
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  4. Raffaele Liuzzi
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  5. Serena De Luca
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  7. Luca Luongo
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  9. Alberto Cuocolo
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Correspondence to Alberto Cuocolo.

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Acampa, W., Caprio, M.G., Nicolai, E. et al. Assessment of poststress left ventricular ejection fraction by gated SPECT: comparison with equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 37, 349–356 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1308-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-009-1308-5

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