Does myocardial perfusion scintigraphy predict improvement in symptoms and exercise capacity following successful elective percutaneous coronary intervention?

• Published in: Journal of nuclear cardiology 2009-12, Vol.16 (6), p.869-877
• Main Authors: Al-Housni, M. Bashar, Hutchings, Fiona, Dalby, Miles, Dubowitz, Michael, Grocott-Mason, Richard, Ilsley, Charles D. J., Mason, Mark, Mitchell, Andrew G., Kelion, Andrew D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary - trends; Cardiology; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Artery Disease - surgery; Exercise Test - statistics & numerical data; Female; Humans; Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging - statistics & numerical data; Nuclear Medicine; Original Article; Outcome Assessment, Health Care - trends; Radiology; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon - statistics & numerical data; Treatment Outcome; United Kingdom - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1071-3581; 1532-6551
• DOI: 10.1007/s12350-009-9112-y

Background Elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without inducible ischaemia may not be beneficial. We investigated the prevalence of inducible hypoperfusion using myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in patients undergoing PCI, and its ability to predict functional outcome. Methods and Results One hundred and twenty-three patients listed for elective PCI underwent MPS, using treadmill exercise where possible. Seventy-seven patients (63%) described chest pain in daily life. Seventy-four of 103 (72%) exercise ECG tests were positive. Ninety-one (74%) had inducible hypoperfusion on MPS (extensive in 25; 20%). Interventionalists were blinded to the scintigraphic results, and PCI was performed as planned. Six months later, Seattle Angina Questionnaire physical limitation score had improved from 66 to 76 ( P