[Serial assessment of denervated but viable myocardium following acute myocardial infarction by using 123I-MIBG and 201TlCl myocardial SPECT].

Abstract 123I-MIBG is taken up by sympathetic nerve ending and provides a scintigraphic image of myocardial sympathetic innervation. We investigated the scintigraphic detection of denervated but viable myocardium following acute myocardial infarction by serial 123I-MIBG and 201TlCl myocardial SPECT. Fourteen patients were studied at acute (10 +/- 2 days) and chronic stage (86 +/- 10 days). Simultaneous dual SPECT was carried out after IV administration of 111 MBq (3 mCi) of 201TlCl and 123I-MIBG. The defect size of 123I-MIBG and 201TlCl were compared visually by using Bull's eye display generated from each myocardial SPECT. In all patients, 123I-MIBG defect showed larger compared to 201T1Cl defect at acute stage, which suggest the existence of denervated but viable myocardium. Of these patients, seven showed significant improvement of both defects, though 123I-MIBG defect showed slightly larger compared to 201TlCl defect, even at chronic stage. These patients had exercise induced thallium transient defect at infarcted area. The remaining 7 patients had no improvement of both defects at chronic stage, which suggest the complete scar at infarcted area. In addition to above study, 4 patients of old myocardial infarction demonstrated larger 123I-MIBG defect compared to 201TlCl defect even at old stage, which thought to be pathogenesis of ventricular tachycardia. In conclusion, 123I-MIBG could evaluate sympathetic denervation and reinnervation noninvasively in the patients with acute myocardial infarction.