Dipyridamole stress myocardial perfusion evaluation by 64 detector-row computed tomography

A angiotomografia de múltiplos detectores (TC) é um exame útil no diagnóstico de doença arterial coronariana (DAC). Recentemente, a TC foi associada à perfusão miocárdica com estresse (PTC) para detectar DAC. O objetivo é comparar a perfusão miocárdica da TC, após estresse com dipiridamol, com a cintilografia miocárdica (SPECT) na detecção de estenose coronariana significativa (>70%), usando o cateterismo (CATE) como método de referência. Trinta e seis pacientes (62±8,0 anos, 20 homens) com suspeita de DAC e com SPECT positivo em menos de 2 meses foram submetidos a um protocolo de TC para avaliação da PTC e angiografia pela tomografia computadorizada (ATC). TC foi realizada em um equipamento de 64 detectores (Aquillion 64, Toshiba), com uma primeira aquisição com os seguintes parâmetros:100mA,120Kv, 32x1mm colimação e 60ml de contraste a 3ml/s, após estresse com dipiridamol (0,56mg/Kg/4min), seguida de uma aquisição de repouso/ATC após aminofilina e metoprolol (270-400mA, 120Kv,64x0,5mm e 80 ml de contraste a 5ml/s). Observadores cegos e independentes, sem conhecimento prévio dos dados clínicos ou dos exames, realizaram análise visual e quantitativa da perfusão e angiotomografia, além de análise angiográfica quantitativa (QCA) para avaliação do CATE. Todos os pacientes completaram o protocolo sem efeitos adversos com dose de radiação média de 14,7 ± 3,0 mSv e exames interpretáveis. PTC foi positiva em 27 de 36 pacientes (75%). Dos nove casos (25%) com discordâncias (PTC negativa e SPECT positivo), 6 pacientes tinham ATC ou CATE normal e 2 tinham estenose coronariana menor que 50%. Um apresentava stent pérvio e o outro um ramo diagonal com redução luminal de 50%.O terceiro paciente apresentava uma oclusão do ramo ventricular posterior da artéria coronária direita com circulação colateral detectado pela ATC e confirmado pelo CATE. A comparação entre a PTC e o SPECT em uma análise por paciente mostrou boa concordância (Kappa =0,53;p70%) as reference method. Thirty-six patients (62.0±8.0 years old, 20 males) with suspected CAD and 70 %. One had patent stents and the other had a diagonal branch with mild luminal reduction at CCA. The remaining patient had an occluded right posterior lateral branch with collateral flow detect by CTA and confirmed by CCA. Good agreement was demonstrated between CTP and SPECT on a per-patient analysis (kappa 0.53). In 26 patients using CCA as reference, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values and accuracy for CTP were 88.0, 79.3, 66.7, 93.3%, 82,1% and for SPECT 68.8, 76.1, 66.7, 77.8% and 73,1% respectively. Rest and dipyridamole-stress computed tomography myocardial perfusion is feasible and results are similar to SPECT scintigraphy. The combined anatomical information provided by computed tomography coronary angiography may allow identification of false-positives on perfusion scans

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in the Assessment of Acute Chest Pain in the Emergency Room

A angiotomografia de coronárias emergiu recentemente como uma ferramenta diagnóstica acurada na avaliação da doença arterial coronariana, fornecendo dados diagnósticos e prognósticos que se correlacionam diretamente com os dados fornecidos pela cineangiocoronariografia. Com a evolução tecnológica, permitindo melhora na resolução temporal, espacial, melhor cobertura do volume cardíaco com redução significativa da dose de radiação, somada à necessidade de protocolos de estratificação de risco mais efetivos para pacientes com dor torácica no pronto-socorro, sua aplicação passou a ser testada no cenário da dor torácica aguda, já que cerca de dois terços das angiografias coronarianas invasivas não demonstram doença coronariana obstrutiva significativa. Na prática diária, sem o uso de tecnologias mais eficientes, como a angiotomografia de coronárias, permanece um desafio ao médico do setor de emergência a estratificação segura e eficiente do paciente com dor torácica aguda. Recentemente, vários estudos, incluindo três randomizados, mostraram resultados favoráveis ao uso dessa tecnologia no pronto-socorro para pacientes com baixa a intermediária probabilidade de doença arterial coronariana. Nesta revisão, apresentamos os dados do uso da angiotomografia de coronárias na estratificação de risco de pacientes com dor torácica na sala de emergência, o seu valor diagnóstico, prognóstico e custo-efetividade e uma análise crítica dos recentes estudos multicêntricos publicados

Health-status outcomes with invasive or conservative care in coronary disease

BACKGROUND In the ISCHEMIA trial, an invasive strategy with angiographic assessment and revascularization did not reduce clinical events among patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate or severe ischemia. A secondary objective of the trial was to assess angina-related health status among these patients. METHODS We assessed angina-related symptoms, function, and quality of life with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) at randomization, at months 1.5, 3, and 6, and every 6 months thereafter in participants who had been randomly assigned to an invasive treatment strategy (2295 participants) or a conservative strategy (2322). Mixed-effects cumulative probability models within a Bayesian framework were used to estimate differences between the treatment groups. The primary outcome of this health-status analysis was the SAQ summary score (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status). All analyses were performed in the overall population and according to baseline angina frequency. RESULTS At baseline, 35% of patients reported having no angina in the previous month. SAQ summary scores increased in both treatment groups, with increases at 3, 12, and 36 months that were 4.1 points (95% credible interval, 3.2 to 5.0), 4.2 points (95% credible interval, 3.3 to 5.1), and 2.9 points (95% credible interval, 2.2 to 3.7) higher with the invasive strategy than with the conservative strategy. Differences were larger among participants who had more frequent angina at baseline (8.5 vs. 0.1 points at 3 months and 5.3 vs. 1.2 points at 36 months among participants with daily or weekly angina as compared with no angina). CONCLUSIONS In the overall trial population with moderate or severe ischemia, which included 35% of participants without angina at baseline, patients randomly assigned to the invasive strategy had greater improvement in angina-related health status than those assigned to the conservative strategy. The modest mean differences favoring the invasive strategy in the overall group reflected minimal differences among asymptomatic patients and larger differences among patients who had had angina at baseline

Initial invasive or conservative strategy for stable coronary disease

BACKGROUND Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, whether clinical outcomes are better in those who receive an invasive intervention plus medical therapy than in those who receive medical therapy alone is uncertain. METHODS We randomly assigned 5179 patients with moderate or severe ischemia to an initial invasive strategy (angiography and revascularization when feasible) and medical therapy or to an initial conservative strategy of medical therapy alone and angiography if medical therapy failed. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest. A key secondary outcome was death from cardiovascular causes or myocardial infarction. RESULTS Over a median of 3.2 years, 318 primary outcome events occurred in the invasive-strategy group and 352 occurred in the conservative-strategy group. At 6 months, the cumulative event rate was 5.3% in the invasive-strategy group and 3.4% in the conservative-strategy group (difference, 1.9 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8 to 3.0); at 5 years, the cumulative event rate was 16.4% and 18.2%, respectively (difference, 121.8 percentage points; 95% CI, 124.7 to 1.0). Results were similar with respect to the key secondary outcome. The incidence of the primary outcome was sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction; a secondary analysis yielded more procedural myocardial infarctions of uncertain clinical importance. There were 145 deaths in the invasive-strategy group and 144 deaths in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.32). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, we did not find evidence that an initial invasive strategy, as compared with an initial conservative strategy, reduced the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events or death from any cause over a median of 3.2 years. The trial findings were sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction that was used