Accumulation of fluorodeoxyglucose in ischemic myocardium, 3

Positron emission tomography using 13N-ammonia and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) was performed before and after coronary bypass surgery in 14 patients with coronary artery disease. The predictive values of preoperative uptake of 18FDG in the hypoperfused segments were assessed for postoperative improvement in regional perfusion and wall motion. An improvement in regional perfusion was observed more often in the segments with an increase in 18FDG uptake (64 %) than those with no increase in its uptake (31 %) (p < 0.05). An improvement in regional wall motion was observed more often in those with an increased 18FDG uptake (78 %) than those with no increased uptake (20 %) (p < 0.002). Furthermore, among 14 segments with an increased 18FDG uptake preoperatively, 7 segments (50 %) showed a decrease in uptake postoperatively. These segments tend to improve in regional perfusion (86 %) and wall motion (100 %), as compared to those with similar 18FDG uptake (43 % and 60 %, respectively) postoperatively. These data suggest that preoperative uptake of 18FDG may be valuable for predicting improvement in regional perfusion and wall motion by coronary bypass surgery. An increased 18FDG uptake may often remain after the surgery, which is considered to reflect tissue damage in the ischemic myocardium. (author)