Evaluation of myocardial damage and cardiac residual capacity by T1-201 myocardial scintigraphy in valvular heart diseases

Abstract

This study was performed to clarify whether the extent-score (Ex-Score) calculated by T1-201 myocardial scintigraphy is a reliable indicator of the severity of myocardial damage and cardiac residual capacity in valvular heart diseases. The subjects consisted of 38 patients (10 with aortic regurgitation (AR), 4 with aortic stenosis (AS), 13 with mitral regurgitation (MR) and 11 with mitral stenosis (MS)).
Ex-Scores were significantly correlated with the severity of myocardial damage found in biopsied specimens obtained intraoperatively (correlation efficiency to Ex-Score with cell diameter in AR, % fibrosis in AR, cell diameter in AS, electron microscopic score in MR and % fibrosis in MS was 0.873, 0.734, 0.970, 0.913 and 0.659, respectively).
Ex-Scores were also correlated with cardiac residual capacity determined by radioisotope angiography (correlation efficiency to Ex-Score with % Δ ejection fraction in AR, % Δ end-systolic volume in MR, % Δ end-diastolic volume in MS was -0.764, 0.790 and -0.763, respectively).
These results suggest that the severity of myocardial damage and cardiac residual capacity can be estimated by T1-201 myocardial scintigraphy (Ex-Score) in valvular heart diseases.