ABSTRACT
Background. Detecting viability is important after recent myocardial infarction (MI). SPECT FDG/Tl flow-metabolism patterns for predicting functional recovery were analyzed in this setting. Method. Forty-one patients were studied (56ñ12 years; 80 percent males) with Tl 201 at rest and FDG F18 SPECT at a mean of 8.9 days post MI (range:1-24). All had baseline and 3 month follow-up echocardiography (ECHO) and initial coronary angiography. They were submitted to primary PTCA in 12 cases, late PTCA in 15 and bypass surgery in 10 and thrombolysis was performed in 4 patients as only procedure. A total of 345 culprit artery territory segments were interpreted by 3 nuclear independent observers. Analysis included segments with or without abnormal motion. Results. FDG/Tl 201 on patient basis, had: sensitivity 91percent; specificity 56 percent; positive predictive value 88 percent; negative predictive value (NPV) 63 percent and accuracy 83 percent. The analysis of segments with abnormal contractility showed values of 67 percent, 69 percent, 44 percent, 85 percent and 68 percent, respectively. Reverse mismatch with FDG/Tl appears to predict viability similarly to classical mismatch; severe or moderate match was highly associated with no functional recovery (NPV = 85 percent). Conclusion. Flow-perfusion patterns are variable in recent MI. FDG/Tl 201 SPECT has acceptable accuracy for predicting functional recovery and excellent NPV to further exclude viability