Initial and delayed stress phase imaging in a single-injection double-acquisition SPECT

Some studies reported that 99mTc-MIBI may redistribute in ischaemic myocardium and this phenomenon may have potential role for better assessment of viability by delayed 99mTc-MIBI imaging. Some studies also suggested that infusion of low dose dobutamine during delayed imaging may enhance the value of 99mTc-MIBI imaging for evaluation of viability. The aim of this study is to determine whether the observed changes of perfusion defects on delayed images are caused by early radiotracer redistribution or as a result of reversal partial volume effect secondary to inotropic stimulation. Patients, methods: 89 patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial study. In all cases, gated-SPECT images were obtained 60 minutes after stress with dipyridamole injection. Subsequently the patients were randomly allocated in two groups and the second imaging was performed at 120th minute during low dose dobutamine (dobutamine group; 45 cases) or placebo infusion (placebo group; 44 cases). Difference between summed stress score of the first (SSS1) and second (SSS2) stress images (DSSS) was considered as a marker of reversibility in single-injection double-acquisition (SIDA) protocol. Also summed difference score (SDS) was recorded as a marker of reversibility in standard stress/rest, double-injection double-acquisition (DIDA) protocol. DSSS of the two studied groups were compared. Also the correlation and agreement between DSSS and SDS were analyzed. Results: A significant difference was found between SSS1 (median 15, range 0–48) and SSS2 (median 11, range 0–42) in total patients (p < 0.0001). A significant correlation was noted between DSSS and SDS in dobutamine group (r = 0.58, p = 0.002) as well as in placebo group (r = 0.57, p < 0.0001). Considering DIDA protocol as a standard reference method, the influence of dobutamine infusion was not shown to be significantly different from the placebo effect on the magnitude of fixed or reversible perfusion defects in SIDA protocol. Conclusion: The changes in the magnitude of the perfusion defects may occur in the first hours of 99mTc-MIBI injection in the stress phase imaging. These changes correlate well and are in agreement with perfusion improvement on the rest images. This phenomenon may be independent of improvement in myocardial function, in more delayed imaging or following inotropic augmentation, and thus is likely due to 99mTc-MIBI redistribution. This may open new technical and clinical aspects and potentials for 99mTc-MIBI imaging.