Does inadequate exercise lower the accuracy of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy?

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital

PENG, N. J.; MAR, G. Y.; LIU, C. P.; JAO, G. H.; LEE, D.; LIANG, H. L.; TSAY, D. G.; CHEN, C. C.; LIU, R. S.

Nucl Med Commun, Volume 22(6).June 2001.625-629

Exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (EMPS) has been widely accepted as a useful noninvasive technique for the identification and evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The predictive accuracy of EMPS in detecting CAD in patients who fail to achieve an adequate level of exercise is not clear. This investigation was carried out in order to compare the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of EMPS in adequate exercise patients with those in inadequate exercise patients. In this investigation, we found patients with inadequate exercise had lower sensitivity but higher specificity of EMPS for detecting CAD, and achieved a higher accuracy than those with adequate exercise.

Abstract

Fig. 1. 77-year-old male with inadequate exercise. The exercise myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (EMPS) shows reversible defects (50% decrease) in the apicoanterior wall, septum and apical wall. Coronary angiography (CAG) confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) with single-vessel disease in the territory of left anterior descending artery.