Detection of myocardial ischemia by 99mTc-teboroxime myocardial SPECT

Exercise myocardial SPECT using 99mTc-Teboroxime was performed and the regions of ischemic area were compared with 201Tl myocardial SPECT in 8 patients with coronary artery disease. All patients had no evidence of previous myocardial infarction, and underwent bicycle ergometer exercise protocol. At peak exercise, 555 MBq 99mTc-Teboroxime or 75 MBq 201Tl was injected intravenously. After treatment of exercise, images were obtained with a gamma camera rotating through a 180deg arc from 45deg right anterior oblique to 45deg left posterior oblique. The concordance of 99mTc-Teboroxime SPECT and 201Tl SPECT was 63% in ischemic region and 83% in normal region. Furthermore, one patient underwent dipyridamole infusion and 99mTc-Teboroxime SPECT was carried out. The images obtained by dipyridamole 99mTc-Teboroxime SPECT were equivalent to the images of exercise 201Tl SPECT. 99mTc-Teboroxime SPECT seems useful for the detection of the coronary artery disease. It was suggested that the evaluation of myocardial viability in acute phase of myocardial infarction can be possible by using 99mTc-Teboroxime SPECT. (author)