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Prognostic implications of acute myocardial infarct scintigraphy with /sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate

Journal Article · · Circulation; (United States)

The predictive value of myocardial scintigraphy with /sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate was studied in 100 patients admitted to the coronary care unit with suspected acute myocardial infarction. None of the 21 patients with normal scintigrams had acute myocardial infarction by other criteria. Fifty-five percent of patients with diffuse uptake (pattern B), 73% of patients with focal uptake (pattern C) and all patients with intense focal uptake (pattern D) and massive uptake (pattern E) had acute infarction. The complication rate in the hospital and after discharge (mean followup: 6.1 months) for patients with pattern E was 88% compared to 42% for D, 30% for C, 36% for B and 10% for patients with normal scintigrams (A). For patients with acute infarction with patterns C, D, and E, the complication rate rose with increasing size of the myocardial uptake of /sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate. In addition to its diagnostic potential, scintigraphy provides prognostic information which is useful for patient triage and for therapeutic decisions early in the evolution of the infarct.

Research Organization:
Harvard Medical School, Boston
OSTI ID:
5090627
Journal Information:
Circulation; (United States), Journal Name: Circulation; (United States) Vol. 57:2; ISSN CIRCA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English