Usefulness of rest-redistribution on thallium myocardial scintigraphy in patients with acute myocardial infarction by SPECT

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of rest-redistribution in myocardial scintigraphy (SPECT) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). 30 patients with AMI within one week after the onset of attack were studied. SPECT images were obtained 10 min and 3hrs after injection of 201Tl. Bull's eye images and unfolded map images were prepared. A 201Tl uptake was studied at the infarct and non-infarct sites. Exercise SPECT and radionuclide angiography were performed in all patients one month after the onset of AMI, and the findings were compared with clinical and coronary angiographic (CAG) findings. Redistribution of Tl at rest was observed at the infarct sites in 9 of the 30 patients. Redistribution at rest was observed at the non-infarct sites in 8 patients. Redistribution at rest was observed during exercise SPECT one month after the onset of AMI in patients with redistribution at rest in the acute phase. In patients with redistribution at rest at the infarct site, left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) improved one month after the onset of AMI (ΔEF>5%), but it decreased slightly during exercise. Wall motion at the infarct site was not much impaired in patients who showed redistribution at rest at the infarct site. Angina pectoris and recurrence of myocardial infarction were observed more frequently on SPECT, but no characteristic findings were obtained on CAG in those with redistribution at rest. In conclusion, cardiac function and wall motion at the infarct site are better preserved in patients with redistribution of Tl at rest on SPECT in the acute stage of myocardial infarction, as compared with patients having fixed defects, but the EF decrease slightly during exercise and the frequency of post-infarction angina is greater in those patients. Resting SPECT in AMI is considered to provide useful information for predicting cardiac function and the clinical course following myocardial infarction. (author)