Erschienen in:
01.06.2019 | Original Article
Prediction of long-term (> 10 year) cardiovascular outcomes in heart transplant recipients: Value of stress technetium-99m tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion imaging
verfasst von:
Jesse F. Veenis, BSc, Hendrik J. Boiten, MD, MSc, Jan C. van den Berge, MD, MSc, Kadir Caliskan, MD, PhD, Alex P. W. M. Maat, MD, Roelf Valkema, MD, PhD, Alina A. Constantinescu, MD, PhD, Olivier C. Manintveld, MD, PhD, Felix Zijlstra, MD, PhD, Ron T. van Domburg, PhD, Arend F. L. Schinkel, MD, PhD
Erschienen in:
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology
|
Ausgabe 3/2019
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Abstract
Background
Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is useful in the evaluation of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in heart transplant (HTx) recipients. The current study evaluated the long-term prognostic value of stress SPECT MPI for predicting all-cause mortality and cardiac events in HTx recipients.
Methods
The study population consisted of 166 HTx recipients (mean age 54 ± 10 years, 84% male) who underwent exercise or dobutamine stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT MPI for the assessment of CAV. An abnormal SPECT MPI was defined as the presence of a fixed or a reversible perfusion defect. Endpoints were all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI).
Results
MPI abnormalities were detected in 55 patients (33%), including fixed defects in 28 patients (17%), partially reversible in 17 patients (10%), and completely reversible defects in 10 patients (6%). During a median follow-up of 12.8 years (range 0-15, mean follow-up 9.5 years), 109 (66%) patients died (all-cause mortality), of which 67 (40%) were due to cardiac causes. A total of 5 (3%) patients experienced a non-fatal MI. HTx recipients with a normal stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT MPI had a significantly better prognosis as compared with those with an abnormal study, up to 5 years after the initial test. The presence of a reversible perfusion defect was a significant predictor of all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and major cardiac events, during the entire follow-up period.
Conclusions
Stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT MPI provides valuable prognostic information for the prediction of long-term outcome in HTx recipients. Patients with a normal stress 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT MPI have a significantly better prognosis as compared with those with an abnormal study, up to 5 years after initial testing.