Fast stress and rest acquisitions for technetium-99m-sestamibi separate-day SPECT

Abstract

Abbreviated acquisition protocols were designed for stress and rest to decrease stress and rest SPECT image acquisition times but maintain the high count density of 99mTc-sestamibi separate-day cardiac images.

Methods: Scan findings were compared visually and quantitatively with standard SPECT for 12 rest and 32 stress patient studies.

Results: Of 29 stress defects detected by standard SPECT, 27 were present with the fast technique; of 8 resting SPECT defects, all were detected with fast SPECT. Two stress and no resting false-positive defects occurred with fast SPECT. Linear correlations (r) between standard and fast quantitative defect extent and severity were 0.76 and 0.86, respectively for stress SPECT, and 0.88 and 0.96 for rest SPECT. Stress fast defects were slightly less severe (p = 0.02) than those observed using standard acquisition.

Conclusion: We conclude that these fast protocols for separate-day 99mTc-MIBI SPECT accurately detect and characterize perfusion defects and provide a means to improve patient tolerance and increase laboratory throughput.