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Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in patients with mitral valve prolapse: its advantage over stress electrocardiography in diagnosing associated coronary artery disease and its implications for the etiology of chest pain

Journal Article · · Circulation; (United States)

Patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) frequently experience chest pain which may, especially in older subjects and males, be difficult to differentiate from angina pectoris. Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, ventricular arrhythmias, metabolic abnormalities and rare reports of myocardial infarction and sudden death further suggest the presence of an ischemic process in these patients. The recognition of accompanying coronary artery disease (CAD) and exclusion of other causes of ischemia, therefore, may be important in determining the prognosis and appropriate therapy for such patients. We performed stress ECGs and perfusion scintigrams in 25 patients with confirmed MVP who underwent cardiac catheterization for evaluation of chest pain. Stress ECGs were not helpful in diagnosing assosiated CAD, primarily because of a high incidence (53%, 10/19) of false positive tests, and had only a 48% overall accuracy. Scintigraphy was more accurate (p < 0.001), correctly classifying all patients. Scintigraphy was uniformly negative in patients with normal coronary arteriograms, suggesting that ischemia, if present as the cause of chest pain and ECG changes, must be either very localized or generalized.

OSTI ID:
5113933
Journal Information:
Circulation; (United States), Journal Name: Circulation; (United States) Vol. 57:1; ISSN CIRCA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English