Abstract:
Objective To analyze the correlation and difference of biventricular function from planar gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography with conventional sodium iodide SPECT (NaI-SPECT planar imaging) and tomographic gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography with cadmium zinc telluride SPECT (CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging), and reconstructed-planar imaging from CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging (CZT-SPECT re-planar imaging) to investigate the methodology and advantages of CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging.
Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 58 patients (38 males and 20 females aged (60.6±12.3) years), who underwent gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography in TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital from August 2021 to November 2022. All patients were subjected to NaI-SPECT planar imaging and CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging on the same day. CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging data were reprocessed in re-planar form and at different acquisition times. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) of NaI-SPECT planar imaging (P), CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging (T), and CZT-SPECT re-planar imaging (re) were compared and analyzed, and the CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging acquisition data at 3, 4, and 5 min were reconstructed. The LVEF (3 min), LVEF (4 min), LVEF (5 min), and RVEF (3 min), RVEF (4 min), RVEF (5 min) were compared with the original acquisition data LVEF (10 min) and RVEF (10 min), respectively. Divide LVEF (10 min) and RVEF (10 min) into subgroups of ≥20%, ≥30%, ≥40%, and ≥50%, and analyze them separately with the reconstructed data mentioned above. Paired t-test (or Wilcoxon signed rank test) and Pearson (or Spearman) were used in analyzing differences and correlations among the data.
Results The differences among LVEF (re) (30.50% (20.00%, 38.50%)), LVEF (P) (31.00% (22.00%, 41.00%)), and LVEF (T) (27.00% (19.75%, 38.50%)) were statistically significant (Z=−2.645, −3.065; both P<0.05), whereas the differences between LVEF (re) and LVEF (P) were not statistically significant (Z=−1.057; P>0.05). No significant difference was found among RVEF (P) (39.78%±12.16%), RVEF (T) (41.57%±15.18%) and RVEF (re) (40.88%±13.19%; t=−1.949, −1.721, 0.883; all P>0.05). The LVEF and RVEF correlations obtained by the three imaging methods were excellent (r=0.892–0.946; all P<0.001). The differences between LVEF (3 min), LVEF (4 min), LVEF (5 min), and LVEF (10 min), and between RVEF (3 min), RVEF (4 min), RVEF (5 min), and RVEF (10 min) were statistically significant (Z=−2.798, −3.288, and −3.995; t=−2.187, −3.976, and −5.154; all P<0.05), and the correlations were excellent (r=0.903–0.970; all P<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference between LVEF (5 min) and LVEF (10 min) and between RVEF (5 min) and RVEF (10 min) in all subgroups, except the LVEF≥20% subgroup (Z=−1.853 to −1.158; t=−1.804, −0.132; all P>0.05).
Conclusions CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging can obtain planar datasets through reconstruction. Owing to its acquisition performance, CZT-SPECT tomographic imaging can further reduce the radiation dose or time for examination while obtaining reliable data for postprocessing and accurate measurement results.