Use of pinhole dual-phase Tc-99m sestamibi vs combined Tc-99m sestamibi and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy in patients with hyperparathyroidism where single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography is unavailable.

Objective: To compare the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of pinhole dual-phase Tc-99m sestamibi vs combined Tc-99m sestamibi and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy in patients with hyperparathyroidism where single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT is unavailable.

Methods: All patients with biochemically proven hyperparathyroidism who underwent both pinhole Tc-99m sestamibi and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy between January 2012 and December 2017 with surgery performed within 3 months of imaging were analyzed. Tc-99m sestamibi images alone and combined with Tc-99m pertechnetate images were interpreted by two nuclear medicine physicians.

What is an appropriate reference standard in the quantitation of plaque surface area by intravascular coronary ultrasound?

We reevaluate the predictive accuracy of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-derived per cent plaque area stenosis (PAS) in significant coronary lesions (CLs) with or without proximal and distal reference vessel area adjustment. IVUS is valuable in defining moderate CL severity (30 to 70%) in left main (LM) or non-left main (NLM) coronaries using minimum luminal area (MLA) of ≤5.9 and ≤4 mm(2), respectively.

New criteria for the diagnosis of healed inferior wall myocardial infarction in patients with left bundle branch block.

The diagnosis of healed inferior myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) is difficult because there are no established criteria. To develop criteria, we retrospectively examined the electrocardiograms of 166 patients with complete LBBB who had either normal images (normals) or an isolated, unequivocal inferior MI on delayed stress thallium imaging. Diagnostic Q waves were defined as a significant Q or QS of at least 30-ms duration.