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The usefulness of gated blood pool scintigraphy for right ventricular function evaluation in pulmonary embolism patients

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Abstract

Objective

According to the international registry ICOPER, right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is the most significant predictor of mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).

Aim

To identify the most informative indicators of gated blood pool single photon emission computer tomography (GBP-SPECT) for evaluation of RV function in patients with PE.

Methods

A total of 52 patients were included in the study. The main group (n = 37) comprised patients with PE, and the comparison group (n = 15) patients suffering from coronary heart disease (NYHA class I-II). All patients received GBP-SPECT, and assessment of plasma levels of endothelin-1, stable nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, and 6-keto-PG F1α.

Results

In patients with PE, RV end-systolic volume, stroke volume, ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, peak filling rate, and mean filling rate were significantly lower in comparison with patients without PE. In patients with PE, the levels of endothelin-1, 6-keto-PG F1α, and stable NO metabolites were increased in comparison with patients without PE.

Conclusions

GBP-SPECT facilitates verification of RV dysfunction in patients without massive PE or severe pulmonary hypertension. Dissociation between the volume of PE and degree of RV dysfunction may be caused by an unbalance between humoral vasoactive factors.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine Department, Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Institute for Cardiology” of Siberian Branch under the Russian Academy of Medical Science, 111a Kievskaya Str., Tomsk, 634012, Russia

    Konstantin V. Zavadovsky, Nikolay G. Krivonogov & Yuri B. Lishmanov

  2. National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russian Federation, 30 Lenina Avenue, Tomsk, 634050, Russia

    Yuri B. Lishmanov

Authors
  1. Konstantin V. Zavadovsky
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  2. Nikolay G. Krivonogov
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  3. Yuri B. Lishmanov
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Correspondence to Konstantin V. Zavadovsky.

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Zavadovsky, K.V., Krivonogov, N.G. & Lishmanov, Y.B. The usefulness of gated blood pool scintigraphy for right ventricular function evaluation in pulmonary embolism patients. Ann Nucl Med 28, 632–637 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0861-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0861-6

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