Efficacy of Equilibrium Radionuclide Angiography in Evaluating Acute Response of Right Ventricle After Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / 中国医学影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose To assess right ventricular function and synchronous acute response in patients with chronic cardiac failure after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) using equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA).Materials and Methods Twenty-four chronic cardiac failure patients who accepted CRT were included (CRT group) and twenty healthy participants were also selected as the control group.ERNA was performed before and within 48 h after pacemaker implantation to calculate both right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) and RV dyssynchrony.RV dyssynchrony was defined as the standard right ventricular phase shift and right ventricular phase standard deviation (RVPS and RVPSD).Results The postoperative RVEF,RVPS and RVPSD in CRT group were significantly improved (P＜0.05).Fifteen patients (62.5％) were classified as acute responders,based on a reduction of at least 15％ in LV end-systolic volume immediately after CRT.The baseline RVEF in responders was higher than that in nonresponders (P＜0.05),while the RVPS and RVPSD were lower (P＜0.05).The postoperative RVPS and RVPSD decreased (P＜0.05),and the RVEF increased (P＜0.05) in both responders and nonresponders after pacemaker implantation,indicating that the right ventricular function and dyssynchrony in CRT group were both improved.Conclusion This study showed a significant improvement in RV ventricular systolic function and synchrony immediately after CRT.ERNA allows assessment of changes in RVEF and RV dyssynchrony before and after CRT implantation.