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T L Faber

Publications and source records attributed to T L Faber.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Clinical validation of three-dimensional color-modulated displays of myocardial perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Two-dimensional polar maps have been validated previously with coronary arteriography for determining vascular involvement of defects from a patient's myocardial perfusion distributions with and without quantification. The purpose of this study was to validate previously developed three-dimensional color-modulated surface displays representing myocardial perfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS: The validation consisted of comparing the agreement between the three-dimensional displays and two-dimensional polar maps in localizing perfusion defects to vascular territories in 30 patients (16 men/14 women) who underwent both a 1-day rest/stress exercise 99mTc-labeled sestamibi study and coronary arteriography. Reading by two experts was used to identify the size and location of quantified defects and corresponding areas of reversibility seen in the polar maps and, on a separate day, in the three-dimensional displays. Agreement between the two-dimensional polar maps and the three-dimensional displays resulted in identical percentages for the localization of both defects and reversibilities: left anterior descending coronary artery, 87% (26/30); left circumflex coronary artery, 97% (29/30); right coronary artery, 97% (29/30); and coronary artery disease, 97% (29/30). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the color-modulated three-dimensional displays are at least as good as the CEqual polar maps in localizing a perfusion defect and its reversibility to angiographically defined vascular territories and thus could be used in the routine clinical evaluation of myocardial perfusion.

Coronary Angiography↗

Clinical impact of arrhythmias on gated SPECT cardiac myocardial perfusion and function assessment.

BACKGROUND: We reported previously that mean quantified cardiac functional parameters computed by one gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technique were not significantly altered by common gating errors. However, it is not known to what extent other gated SPECT approaches that are based on different ventricular modeling assumptions are influenced by arrhythmias, nor are the effects of gating errors on visual analyses and their subsequent clinical implications known. METHODS: Projection data for 50 patients (aged 64 +/- 12 years; 68% men; 76% with myocardial perfusion defects) undergoing technetium-99m sestamibi gated SPECT who were in sinus rhythm during data acquisition were altered to simulate common arrhythmias. To determine quantitative effects, we performed calculations for original control and altered images by Gaussian myocardial detection (Quantitative Gated SPECT [QGS] program) and by wall thickening derived from gated perfusion polar maps (Emory Cardiac Toolbox program). To evaluate visual assessment in control and simulated-arrhythmia tomograms, 2 experienced blinded observers independently interpreted perfusion from polar maps and wall motion and thickening from tomographic cines, using a 4-point scale. RESULTS: Although mean functional parameters were scarcely altered, paired t tests showed ejection fraction fluctuations to be significantly different from control values, causing patients to change between abnormal and normal ejection fraction categories (2% of patients by QGS and 14% by Emory Cardiac Toolbox). Visual examination of QGS polar perfusion and function maps showed changes for 72% of cases, although in only 4% were these considered to have potential clinical consequences. The kappa statistic for visual analysis of concordance between control and arrhythmia readings showed that agreement was "excellent" for perfusion, "good" for motion, and "marginal" for thickening. CONCLUSIONS: As with quantitative measurements, thickening is the parameter most prone to error in the presence of arrhythmias. It is important to test data for gating errors to avoid potentially erroneous measurements and visual readings.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

Evaluation of left ventricular endocardial volumes and ejection fractions computed from gated perfusion SPECT with magnetic resonance imaging: comparison of two methods.

BACKGROUND: Two methods of computing left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction (EF) from 8-frame gated perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were compared with each other and with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-five subjects underwent 8-frame gated dual-isotope SPECT imaging and 12- to 16-frame gated MR imaging. Endocardial boundaries on short-axis MR images were hand traced by experts blinded to any SPECT results. Volumes and EF were computed with the use of Simpson's rule. SPECT images were analyzed for the same functional variables with the use of 2 automatic programs, Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) and the Emory Cardiac Toolbox (ECTb). The mean difference between MR and SPECT EF was 0.008 for ECTb and 0.08 for QGS. QGS showed a slight trend toward higher correlation for EF (r = 0.72, SE of the estimate = 0.08) than ECTb (r = 0.70, SE of the estimate = 0.09). For both SPECT methods, left ventricular volumes were similarly correlated with MR, although SPECT volumes were higher than MR values by approximately 30%. CONCLUSIONS: QGS and ECTb values of cardiac function computed from 8-frame gated perfusion SPECT correlate very well with each other and correlate well with MR. Averaged over all subjects, ECTb measurements of EF are not significantly different from MR values but QGS significantly underestimates the MR values.

Cardiac Volume↗