Journey in evolution of nuclear cardiology: will there be another quantum leap with the F-18-labeled myocardial perfusion tracers?

The field of nuclear cardiac imaging has evolved from being rather subjective, more "art than a science," to a more objective, digital-based quantitative technique, providing insight into the physiological processes of cardiovascular disorders and predicting patient outcome. In a mere 4 decades of its clinical use, the technology used to image myocardial perfusion has made quantum leaps from planar to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and now to a more contemporary rapid SPECT, positron emission tomography (PET), and hybrid SPECT-computed tomography (CT) and PET-CT techniques. Meanwhile, radiotracers have flourished from potassium-43 and red blood cell-tagged blood pool imaging to thallium-201 and technetium-99m-labeled SPECT perfusion tracers along with rubidium-82, ammonia N-13, and more recently F-18 fluorine-labeled PET perfusion tracers.

Accuracy and safety of (99m)Tc-labeled anti-D-dimer (DI-80B3) Fab' fragments (ThromboView®) in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis: a phase II study.

Background: The assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains challenging despite current diagnostic algorithms. (99m)Tc-labelled DI-DD3B6/22-80B3 Fab´ fragments ((99m)Tc-DI-80B3, ThromboView®) is a novel diagnostic test that uses a radiolabelled humanized monoclonal antibody fragment specific for the D-dimer region of cross-linked fibrin to detect DVT. This test has an anatomic component to locate DVT and a functional component to differentiate acute (newly formed) thrombus from inactive (old) thrombus.

Impact of left ventricular function and the extent of ischemia and scar by stress myocardial perfusion imaging on prognosis and therapeutic risk reduction in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease: results from the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial.

Background: The Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes trial demonstrated similar long-term clinical effectiveness of revascularization (REV) and intensive medical (MED) therapy. Comparisons of post-intervention ischemic burden have not been explored but are relevant to treatment decisions. This study examined differences in 1-year stress myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) abnormalities by randomized treatment.

Management of malignant melanoma: best practices.

Background: Melanoma is a commonly occurring cancer in Canada, with an estimated age-standardized incidence of 10 to 13 per 100,000. An estimated 4,300 new cases were diagnosed, and there were 800 reported deaths in 2005.

Objective And Conclusion: The Canadian Expert Panel on Malignant Melanoma has developed best practices to improve the management of malignant melanoma.

Cardiac outcomes after screening for asymptomatic coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: the DIAD study: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes. But the utility of screening patients with type 2 diabetes for asymptomatic CAD is controversial.

Objective: To assess whether routine screening for CAD identifies patients with type 2 diabetes as being at high cardiac risk and whether it affects their cardiac outcomes.

Resolution of asymptomatic myocardial ischemia in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Detection of Ischemia in Asymptomatic Diabetics (DIAD) study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the prevalence of inducible myocardial ischemia increases over time in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Participants enrolled in the Detection of Ischemia in Asymptomatic Diabetics (DIAD) study underwent repeat adenosine-stress myocardial perfusion imaging 3 years after initial evaluation. Patients with intervening cardiac events or revascularization and those who were unable or unwilling to repeat stress imaging were excluded.

Clinical validation of SPECT attenuation correction using x-ray computed tomography-derived attenuation maps: multicenter clinical trial with angiographic correlation.

Background: Nonuniform attenuation artifacts cause suboptimal specificity of stress single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion images. In phantoms, normal subjects, and patients suspected of having coronary artery disease (CAD), we evaluated a new hybrid attenuation correction (AC) system that combines x-ray computed tomography (CT) with conventional stress SPECT imaging.

Methods And Results: The effect of CT-based AC was evaluated in phantoms by assessing homogeneity of normal cardiac inserts.

Clinical applications of 99mTc-sestamibi scintimammography.

Mammography is the imaging modality of choice in detection of early, nonpalpable breast cancer. However, scintimammography may prove to be a very useful adjunct to a nondiagnostic or difficult mammography. Future prospective studies will have to be designed so that the specific clinical applications of scintimammography will be well defined.

Detection of silent myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic diabetic subjects: the DIAD study.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and clinical predictors of silent myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes and to test the effectiveness of current American Diabetes Association screening guidelines.

Research Design And Methods: In the Detection of Ischemia in Asymptomatic Diabetics (DIAD) study, 1,123 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 50-75 years, with no known or suspected coronary artery disease, were randomly assigned to either stress testing and 5-year clinical follow-up or to follow-up only. The prevalence of ischemia in 522 patients randomized to stress testing was assessed by adenosine technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission-computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging.

Acute beta-blockade reduces the extent and severity of myocardial perfusion defects with dipyridamole Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT imaging.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of acute beta-blockade on dipyridamole Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion imaging (DMPI).

Background: Studies suggest that antianginal drugs may reduce the presence and severity of myocardial perfusion defects with dipyridamole stress. However, there are no data regarding specific drugs.

Imaging characteristics of a novel technetium Tc 99m-labeled platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist in patients With acute deep vein thrombosis or a history of deep vein thrombosis.

Background: The diagnosis of recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is challenging. Imaging with radiolabeled peptides offers a new approach for detecting acute DVT. Technetium Tc 99m ((99m)Tc)-apcitide binds with high affinity and specificity to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors expressed on activated platelets and, therefore, (99m)Tc-apcitide scintigraphy should be negative with residual abnormalities caused by old, inactive thrombi and positive with new, active thrombi.

Long myotomy with antireflux repair for esophageal spastic disorders.

This report presents the long-term subjective and objective results of esophageal myotomy and fundoplication by thoracotomy in the treatment of esophageal spastic disorders. From 1977 to 1995, a total of 16 patients with esophageal spastic disorders were referred to our unit and underwent a myotomy with an added partial (n = 12) or total (n = 4) fundoplication. The median follow-up was 6 years.

Attenuation correction and gating synergistically improve the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial perfusion SPECT.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography is limited by soft tissue attenuation. Artifacts may be reduced by attenuation correction (AC) or compensated for by assessment of wall motion in gated images. We studied the benefit of gating and AC, both separately and combined, in improving accuracy.

(99m)Tc sestamibi breast imaging for the examination of patients with dense and fatty breasts: multicenter study.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of scintimammography as an adjunct to physical examination and mammography in the detection of breast cancer in women with dense and fatty breasts.

Materials And Methods: A total of 558 women were prospectively enrolled from 42 centers in North America. Images were interpreted by readers blinded to the subjects' clinical history, mammographic findings, and other test results.