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Biomedical subjects

G A Hurwitz

Publications and source records attributed to G A Hurwitz.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Pulmonary thallium-201 uptake following dipyridamole-exercise combination compared with single modality stress testing.

Angiographic and clinical determinants of pulmonary uptake of thallium-201 were assessed in a laboratory setting where supine bicycle exercise is used for stress testing in the absence of limiting pharmacologic or physical factors, and where symptom-limited exercise is added to intravenous dipyridamole infusion in other cases. Angiographic correlation was available in 400 patients, including 130 tested with exercise, 94 in whom only handgrip or abbreviated bicycle exercise could be used after dipyridamole, and 176 in whom intravenous dipyridamole was combined with a significant level of exercise. For each test mode, lung/myocardial ratios on the immediate image were highly correlated (p less than or equal to 0.001) with a score based on the number of critical coronary artery stenoses, with grading by contrast ventriculography, and with the number of stenosed (greater than or equal to 50%) arteries; relationships (p less than 0.05) to history of myocardial infarction and to gender were also present. Multiple regression analysis showed the critical stenosis score and ventricular dysfunction to be the only significant determinants. When dipyridamole based tests were compared with exercise, curves of receiver-operating characteristics showed a tendency to better diagnostic performance. When dipyridamole is incorporated in stress testing, the value of increased lung uptake as an ancillary diagnostic sign is similar to that established for exercise.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of Tl-201 renal uptake with Tc-99m DTPA angiorenography in patients with hypertension. Measures of renal asymmetry.

Renal uptake of Tl-201 reflects renal perfusion and may have a role in defining renal asymmetry in patients with hypertension who are referred for myocardial scintigraphy. The authors compared two methods of quantitating differential renal uptake of Tl-201, with similar data obtained from the angiographic and renal uptake (RU) phases of Tc-99m DTPA scintigraphy in 35 patients with hypertension. For Tl-201, asymmetry in renal counts was quantitated based on a simple outline technique or on interpolative background subtraction of 5-minute posterior images. Inter-observer and intra-observer variability among duplicate measurements were lower for Tl-201, particularly with interpolative background subtraction, than for Tc-99m DTPA. Renal/background ratios were similar for Tl-201 and RU-phase Tc-99m DTPA images when considering liver, spleen, or inter-renal regions as background; however, paraspinal uptake was relatively higher with Tl-201 (P less than 0.01). Qualitatively, renal asymmetry scores with the two radiotracers agreed (r = 0.89, blinded readings by four observers), although asymmetry was more marked with Tl-201 (P = 0.06). Measurements with Tl-201 agreed with both phases of Tc-99m DTPA (r = 0.96 to 0.98), but interpolative background subtraction systematically yielded greater inter-renal asymmetry than RU (P less than 0.01), reflecting the qualitative impression. Thus, ancillary Tl-201 imaging reflects differences between the kidneys in a fashion similar but not identical to Tc-99m DTPA scintigraphy.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗
PubMed1991

Differential renal uptake of 201Tl: requirements for acquisition, display and quantification.

Renal uptake of 201Tl may have a role in screening for renal asymmetry in hypertensive patients (HP) who are referred for myocardial scintigraphy. The qualitative aspects of digitized planar images, and quantified differential renal uptake (DRU) of 201Tl were rated by comparing a simple technique (S) for outlining each kidney with an interpolative background subtracted technique (IB). These parameters were assessed in an initial series of patients by varying the length of acquisition (from 1 to 5 min), delay in acquisition (from 10 to 210 min after injection), and image preparation (nine-point smoothing). Six blinded observers rated the quality of coded images. Image quality was improved (P less than 0.01) by increasing the length of acquisition to at least 2 min, by smoothing of the images and by imaging within 2 h of 201Tl injection. Variability in quantification of DRU was suboptimal with acquisition for only 1 min and was more adversely affected with S than with IB. Clinical application of the quantitative technique was assessed in 180 HP and 32 normotensive controls. With IB, the normal range for DRU was slightly greater than for S. The two techniques were comparable in identifying abnormal cases and found 21 +/- 3% (S) and 19 +/- 3% (IB) of HP as lying outside the normal 99% confidence interval. Both quantitative techniques showed excellent agreement with renal angiography (n = 24). Furthermore, preliminary experience with surface markers and with 180 degrees tomography suggests the potential for simultaneous correction for renal depth. These data justify the use of adjunctive renal imaging during myocardial scintigraphy with 201Tl.

Heart↗
PubMed1990

Quantitative analysis of myocardial ischaemia on end-diastolic thallium 201 perfusion images.

ECG gating of images with thallium 201 (201Tl) may improve the representation of myocardial perfusion by allowing isolation of the end-diastolic (ED) portion of the cardiac cycle. To characterize this phenomenon, circumferential distribution profiles for ED and conventional total-cycle images (TC) with 201Tl were analysed after summing ECG gated acquisitions; redistribution was defined as net washing of 201Tl for specific myocardial segments visualized on the left anterior oblique images. Scintigraphic data were compared with the presence of coronary stenoses in 150 patients. ED images had relatively less activity in the inferoseptal and inferoapical region than TC profiles. The ED mode of washout analysis provided more frequent confirmation of visually suggested redistribution than did the TC mode (84% incidence of net wash in for ED, 69% for TC). ED analysis showed a higher incidence of net 201Tl wash in in relation to critical circumflex and left anterior descending artery lesions, but yielded a similar overall performance to TC analysis in distinguishing patients with diseased coronary arteries from normal subjects. Thus, in selected cases, analysis of ED images could assist in confirming 201Tl redistribution.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1990

Dipyridamole combined with symptom-limited exercise for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: image characteristics and clinical role.

Although dipyridamole can be used with myocardial scintigraphy to demonstrate reversible perfusion defects, combining exercise with the pharmacologic tool could improve image quality and information yield. The incidence of perfusion defects and the quality of thallium 201 images were reviewed in a series of 820 patients who had been assigned to a specific stress-test mode. Supine bicycle exercise alone was used (group I) where no pharmacologic or physical factors (e.g., beta-blockers, arthritis) limited performance; otherwise, intravenous dipyridamole was followed by symptom-limited exercise (group II). Angiographic correlation was available in 57 patients in group I, and in 158 in group II; of these, 109 performed significant exercise (greater than or equal to 3 min at increasing workloads) following dipyridamole (group IIA), whereas in 49 (group IIB) the exercise phase following dipyridamole was truncated. All test-mode groups were similar with respect to the incidence of ST segment depression during testing, patient throughput, and the sensitivity of perfusion defects. Chest pain and reversible defects were induced more frequently in group II than in group I. In group IIA, splanchnic background activity was lower (P less than 0.001) than in group IIB, and the false-positive rate tended to be lower. Thus, combining exercise with dipyridamole in patients with non-cardiac limitations to exercise enabled the achievement of optimal results for perfusion scintigraphy.

Cardiac Catheterization↗
PubMed1990

Renal uptake of Tl-201 in hypertensive patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging.

The detection of renovascular disease (RVD) has particular relevance in hypertensive patients (HP) who have symptoms of target organ damage. To evaluate the possibility of RVD in HP undergoing myocardial perfusion scintigraphy for chest pain symptoms, posterior renal images were obtained at 1-3 hours after Tl-201 injection. Analog and computer images were obtained for 5 minutes in 45 HP; 12 patients with no history of hypertension or renal disease served as normal controls. For qualitative analysis, images were coded and read by three observers as to symmetry of renal uptake. Differential renal uptake of Tl-201 (DRU) was quantitated on computer images. In normal controls, uptake was agreed on as symmetric. In HP, 6 patients had marked asymmetry of DRU and 4 had possibly significant asymmetry; 2 had decreased uptake in both kidneys suggesting bilateral RVD or nephrosclerosis. Objective correlation with DRU was obtained in 10 HP who had contrast angiography, confirming 4 cases of unilateral RVD and 2 of bilateral RVD. Thirteen patients also had renography with Tc-99m DTPA; differential renal function by this modality correlated well with DRU of Tl-201 (r = 0.98). Thus, DRU of Tl-201 can be used as a supplement to myocardial scintigraphy to identify HP who require further evaluation and treatment of RVD.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Diagnostic accuracy and pitfalls of [iodine-131]6-beta-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol (NP-59) imaging.

NP-59 concentrates in steroid hormone synthesizing tissues, enabling scintigraphic localization and characterization of endocrine dysfunction in the adrenal cortex and ovary. Studying 108 consecutive cases from 1982 to 1985 and using clinical, biochemical, radiographic, and pathologic data, we performed a rigorous assessment of the accuracy and pitfalls of NP-59 scintigraphy. The evaluation was divided into categories of abnormal hormone secretion: Cushing's syndrome, primary aldosteronism, and hyperandrogenism. Additional categories included euadrenal tumors (without detectable hormone dysfunction) and sites of residual adrenal cortical tissue. The accuracy of NP-59 scintigraphy ranged from 71% in primary aldosteronism and 75% in euadrenal tumors, to 100% for Cushing's syndrome and hyperandrogenism. However, more than in most nuclear medicine studies, NP-59 imaging requires well-defined indications to be met for it to be efficacious, including the fulfillment of clear clinical, biochemical, and radiographic criteria. The high reproducibility of NP-59 scintigraphic interpretation was demonstrated when 40 random cases underwent interinstitutional exchange and through interobserver evaluation at the University of Michigan. Responses of 85/126 medical centers to questionnaires revealed the high level of NP-59 safety.

Adosterol↗
PubMed1990

Ischemic left ventricular dysfunction assessed on ECG-gated thallium-201 myocardial perfusion images.

Ischemic dysfunction of the left ventricle can be suggested by ancillary data derived from thallium-201 myocardial perfusion images. In this study, qualitative and quantitative assessments of global and segmental contraction derived from ECG-gated left anterior oblique images were analyzed to define more precisely transient ischemic hypokinesis. Immediate (4 mins post stress) and delayed (2 to 4 h) images were compared in 200 patients; 165 had coronary angiography and 35 had a low probability of coronary artery disease based on pretest and test outcome variables. For both immediate and delayed images, a quantitative index of left ventricular contraction (derived from the time-activity curve of the left ventricular cavity and validated in a previous study), correlated well with contrast ventriculography scores. The index derived from the immediate image also was related to the severity/extent of coronary artery lesions and to thallium-201 lung uptake. The ratio of indices (immediate/delayed) was depressed (P less than 0.001) in patients with two or three critically diseased vessels, and reflected the qualitative assessment of stress-induced dysfunction on cinematic images. These data suggest that the quantitative index derived from ECG-gated perfusion scans may be a valuable indicator of stress-induced ventricular contractile dysfunction.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1990

Screening for a renovascular etiology in hypertensive patients undergoing myocardial scintigraphy: differential renal thallium-201 uptake.

In hypertensive patients with target organ damage the search for possible etiologic factors may be particularly relevant. To evaluate renal symmetry, differential renal uptake of thallium-201 was quantified on renal images at 30 mins to 3 h after tracer injection in 112 hypertensive patients undergoing myocardial perfusion scintigraphy for chest pain. In some patients, renal angiographic status was known at the time of thallium-201 scintigraphy (n = 10), or disease was highly suspected (failed angioplasty, n = 6); the remainder (n = 96) were 'screened' for renovascular disease by renal thallium-201 imaging; 32 normotensive patients with no history of renal disease served as controls. Validation of thallium-201 renal imaging was obtained in a total of 17 hypertensive patients who had correlating contrast angiography, confirming eight cases of unilateral or asymmetric bilateral renovascular disease. Renography with technetium-99m DTPA was performed in 28 patients; differential renal function according to this modality correlated well with differential renal uptake of thallium-201 (r = 0.98). Of the screened hypertensives, eight had marked asymmetry of differential renal uptake and eight had possibly significant asymmetry. Renal thallium-201 imaging provided the first evidence of asymmetric renal perfusion in four cases subsequently confirmed by abdominal angiography. In addition, four post angioplasty cases had persistent or progressive asymmetry of renal perfusion disclosed by this technique. Thus, ancillary renal imaging with thallium-201 can be used to identify hypertensive patients who should be considered for renal angiographic evaluation.

Heart↗
PubMed1976

Treatment of mandibular prognathism in an acromegalic patient.

A 41-year-old man with acromegaly underwent cryosurgery for a pituitary adenoma. Although soft tissue regression is possible after pituitary ablation, bony changes are permanent. Thus, bilateral vertical osteotomies and bilateral coronoidotomies were performed for correction of the mandibular prognathism. The postoperative occlusion and facial profile were very acceptable. Unfortunately, the patient died of a myocardial infarction eight days postoperatively.

Acromegaly↗