Myocardial viability in chronic ischemic heart disease: Comparison of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

Harald P. Kühl, Aernout M. Beek, Arno P. Van Der Weerdt, Mark B.M. Hofman, Cees A. Visser, Adriaan A. Lammertsma, Nicole Heussen, Frans C. Visser, Albert C. Van Rossum

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI) with nuclear metabolic imaging for the assessment of myocardial viability in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced MRI has been shown to identify scar tissue in ischemically damaged myocardium. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with chronic coronary artery disease and LV dysfunction (mean ejection fraction 31 ± 11%) underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), technetium-99m tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and ceMRI. In a 17-segment model, the segmental extent of hyperenhancement (SEH) by ceMRI, defined as the relative amount of contrast-enhanced tissue per myocardial segment, was compared with segmental FDG and tetrofosmin uptake by PET and SPECT. RESULTS: In severely dysfunctional segments (n = 165), SEH was 9 ± 14%, 33 ± 25% (p < 0.05), and 80 ± 23% (p < 0.05) in segments with normal metabolism/perfusion, metabolism/perfusion mismatch, and matched defects, respectively. Segmental glucose uptake by PET was inversely correlated to SEH (r = -0.86, p < 0.001). By receiver operator characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve was 0.95 for the differentiation between viable and non-viable segments. At a cutoff value of 37%, SEH optimally differentiated viable from non-viable segments defined by PET. Using this threshold, the sensitivity and specificity of ceMRI to detect non-viable myocardium as defined by PET were 96% and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced MRI allows assessment of myocardial viability with a high accuracy, compared with FDG-PET, in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and LV dysfunction.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1341-1348
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology
Volume41
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2003

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