Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of myocardial blood flow (MBF) by computed tomography from dynamic CT perfusion (CTP) for detecting myocardial ischemia and infarction assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) or single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
Methods: Fifty-three patients who underwent stress dynamic CTP and either SPECT (n = 25) or CMR (n = 28) were retrospectively selected. Normal and abnormal perfused myocardium (ischemia/infarction) were assessed by SPECT/CMR using 16-segment model. Sensitivity and specificity of CT-MBF (mL/g/min) for detecting the ischemic/infarction and severe infarction were assessed.
Results: The abnormal perfused myocardium and severe infarction were seen in SPECT (n = 90 and n = 19 of 400 segments) and CMR (n = 223 and n = 36 of 448 segments). For detecting the abnormal perfused myocardium, sensitivity and specificity were 80 % (95 %CI, 71-90) and 86 % (95 %CI, 76-91) in SPECT (cut-off MBF, 1.23), and 82 % (95 %CI, 76-88) and 87 % (95 %CI, 80-92) in CMR (cut-off MBF, 1.25). For detecting severe infarction, sensitivity and specificity were 95 % (95 %CI, 52-100) and 72 % (95 %CI, 53-91) in SPECT (cut-off MBF, 0.92), and 78 % (95 %CI, 67-97) and 80 % (95 %CI, 58-86) in CMR (cut-off MBF, 0.98), respectively.
Conclusions: Dynamic CTP has a potential to detect abnormal perfused myocardium and severe infarction assessed by SPECT/CMR using comparable cut-off MBF.
Key points: • CT-MBF accurately reflects the severity of myocardial perfusion abnormality. • CT-MBF provides good diagnostic accuracy for detecting myocardial perfusion abnormalities. • CT-MBF may assist in stratifying severe myocardial infarction in abnormal perfusion myocardium.
Keywords: Computed tomography; Myocardial blood flow; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial ischemia; Myocardial perfusion imaging.