Clinical performance of Rb-82 myocardial perfusion PET and Tc-99m-based SPECT in patients with extreme obesity

Abstract

Background: We evaluated the performance of stress imaging with technetium-99m-labeled tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and rubidium-82 positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with extreme obesity, defined as body mass index ≥40 kg/m².

Methods: We identified patients with extreme obesity who underwent angiography in our center and either stress SPECT or PET within the previous six months. Cohorts of patients with extreme obesity and a <5% pretest likelihood of CAD who underwent SPECT (N = 25) or PET (N = 25) were also included.

Results: In total, 108 patients who underwent SPECT (N = 57) or PET (N = 51) were identified. Scan interpretation was classified as definitely normal or abnormal in 83.3% of PET and 60.5% of SPECT scans, respectively (P < .01). PET demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy and normalcy rate. PET was found to have higher specificity for the pooled cohort. Similar findings were observed using stenosis cut-offs of ≥50% and ≥70%.

Conclusions: In patients with extreme obesity, PET enabled more definitive scan interpretation with less artifact compared to SPECT. PET provided higher diagnostic accuracy and specificity in the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease.

Keywords: Myocardial perfusion imaging; PET/CT; SPECT; obesity.