Clinical study: coronary artery disease
No difference in cardiac event-free survival between positron emission tomography-guided and single-photon emission computed tomography-guided patient management: A prospective, randomized comparison of patients with suspicion of jeopardized myocardium

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES

We sought to prospectively compare nitrogen-13 (13N)-ammonia/18fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)–guided management with stress/rest technetium-99m (99mTc)-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)–guided management.

BACKGROUND

Patients with evidence of jeopardized (i.e., ischemic or viable) myocardium may benefit from revascularization, whereas patients without it should be treated with drugs. Both PET and SPECT imaging have been proven to delineate jeopardized myocardium. When patient management is based on identification of jeopardized myocardium, it is unknown which technique is most accurate for long-term prognosis.

METHODS

In a clinical setting, 103 patients considered for revascularization with left ventricular wall motion abnormalities and suspicion of jeopardized myocardium underwent both PET and SPECT imaging. The imaging results were used in a randomized fashion to determine management (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty [PTCA], coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG] or drug treatment). Follow-up for cardiac events (cardiac death, myocardial infarction and revascularization) was recorded for 28 ± 1 months. The study was designed to have a power of 80% to detect a 20% difference in the event rate between PET- and SPECT-based management.

RESULTS

Management decisions in 49 patients randomized to PET (12 who had PTCA, 14 CABG and 23 drug therapy) were comparable with 54 patients randomized to SPECT (15 who had PTCA, 13 CABG and 26 drug therapy). In terms of cardiac event-free survival, no differences between PET and SPECT were observed (11 vs. 13 cardiac events for PET and SPECT, respectively; p = NS by the Kaplan-Meier statistic).

CONCLUSIONS

No difference in patient management or cardiac event-free survival was demonstrated between management based on 13N-ammonia/18FDG PET and that based on stress/rest 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT imaging. Both techniques may be used for management of patients considered for revascularization with suspicion of jeopardized myocardium.

Abbreviations

CABG
coronary artery bypass graft surgery
ECG
electrocardiogram
18FDG
18fluorodeoxyglucose
13N
nitrogen-13
PET
positron emission tomography
PTCA
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
SPECT
single-photon emission computed tomography
99mTc
technetium-99m
201Tl
thallium-201

Cited by (0)

This study was financially supported by the Groningen University Hospital.