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N-13 ammonia positron tomography at rest and during exercise for evaluation of coronary artery disease

Conference · · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6855978

To assess the value of positron computed tomography (PCT) for evaluation of coronary artery disease (CAD), N-13 ammonia myocardial PCT was performed at rest and during exercise in 23 cases. PCT imaging was taken with a wholebody multislice PCT device 3 minutes after intravenous injection of 20-20 mCi of N-13 ammonia. The tracer distribution was homogenous in the left ventricular myocardium at rest and during exercise in all 4 normal cases. Among 19 cases with CAD, regional hypoperfusion was observed in 24 cases (74%) at rest and 18 cases (95%) during exercise. Furthermore, 12 cases had regional perfusion abnormalities in stress images not present at rest. Segmental analysis of myocardial perfusion identified 30 of the 34 stenosed vessels (88%) with only one false positive finding (specificity: 97%). In 11 patients who underwent both thallium-201 and N-13 ammonia imaging, PCT detected stenosed vessels more (87%) than the thallium-201 imaging (63%: p<0.05), especially in those with multivessel disease (87% vs 63%: p 0.05). For quantitative analysis of myocardial perfusion by PCT, % change in tracer concentration from resting to stress state was calculated. It was mildly increased (14.4+- 5.8%: p<0.001) in normal segments, whereas in CAD, it was significantly decreased (-18.0+- 18.3%: p<0.02) in segments with stenosed vessels. The authors conclude that N-13 ammonia PCT during exercise is a sensitive and effective method for detecting CAD and identifying stenosed vessels, and it permits quantitative assessment of coronary reserve function.

Research Organization:
Kyoto Univ. Medical School, Kyoto
OSTI ID:
6855978
Report Number(s):
CONF-850611-
Journal Information:
J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 26:5; ISSN JNMEA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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