Comparison of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and computed tomography (CT) angiography based on conventional coronary angiography

Abstract

Coronary artery disease is one of the most common and important health problems in the world. Early diagnosis of this disease is very important to treat before severe myocardial damage occurred. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) and computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) which evaluates regional myocardial perfusion and coronary arteries, respectively, are reliable and non-invasive methods in terms of coronary artery disease. In this study we aimed to compare MPS and CTCA based on conventional coronary angiography (CCA). Totally 60 patients were included in the study. CCA and MPS were performed to 30 patients; CCA and CTCA were performed to the rest of the patients (30 patients). Lesions were classified as mild, moderate and severe in these imaging methods. MPS and CTCA were compared with CCA by using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. MPS and CTCA’s p values were found for left anterior descending artery (LAD) p: 0, p: 0.271; for circumflex artery (Cx) p: 0.256, p: 0.08 and for right coronary artery (RCA) p: 0.033, p: 0.271, respectively. Furthermore MPS and CTCA’s sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated 81% to 87%; 70% to 49%; 73% to 72%; 54% to 72%; 90% to 71%, respectively. CCA results were found more concordant with MPS for LAD and RCA lesions and more concordant with CTCA for Cx lesions. It was also found that positive predictive value of MPS and negative predictive value of CTCA were significantly higher than the others. As a result, MPS and CTCA were suggested as complementary techniques for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, not as alternatives to each other.