Cor Vasa 2004, 45(6):297-300

Myocardial perfusion and function gated SPECT imaging in patients with left bundle branch block

Milan Kamínek^1,*, Marcela Škvařilová², Jiří Ostřanský², Otto Lang³, Miroslav Mysliveček¹

¹ Klinika nukleární medicíny

² I. interní klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc a Univerzita Palackého, Olomouc

³ Klinika nukleární medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady a 3. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha, Česká republika

The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of dipyridamole cardiac gated SPECT for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB). The scintigraphic finding was subsequently verified by coronary angiography in a total of 38 patients: 10 women and 28 men, with a mean age of 60 years, 7 after myocardial infarction (MI), 5 after coronary revascularization. SPECT findings were classified as normal (n = 16) or abnormal perfusion (n = 22). Fixed reduced septal uptake was not qualified as abnormal perfusion provided gated SPECT revealed abnormal septal thickening and normal stress perfusion at end diastole. The sensitivity and specificity of SPECT were 90% and 89% (18/20 and 16/18), respectively. SPECT makes it possible to detect CAD in LBBB patients; both pharmacological stress (dipyridamole or adenosine) and gated SPECT imaging should be used to eliminate false positive test results.

Keywords: LBBB; Myocardial perfusion and function; Gated SPECT; Dipyridamole

Published: June 1, 2004  Show citation