Scintigraphic evaluation of suspected acute myocardial infarction
M. K. Kan, G. B. Hopkins and C. F. Carroll
Ninety-one patients with chest pain suggestive of acute myocardial
infarction were studied by static technetium Tc 99m stannous pyrophosphate
scintigraphy and dynamic sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m cardioangiography.
Twenty-three of 26 patients (88%) with acute transmural infarcts and 12 of
17 patients (71%) with nontransmural infarcts had abnormal static studies.
In 45 patients with negative scintigrams, ECG or serum enzyme changes
consistent with acute infarction failed to develop. Three false-positive
static studies (6%) were recorded. Twenty of 43 (47%) patients with acute
infarction had hemodynamic or structural abnormalities identified by
cardioangiography. The dynamic study also proved helpful in localizing the
site of infarction and in ruling out certain causes of false-positive
static scintigrams.
