Christiane Cigagna Wiefels Reis et al. Erivelton Alessandro do Nascimento Fernanda Baptista Ribeiro Dias Mario Luiz Ribeiro … Annelise Passos Bispo Wanderley Layanara Albino Batista Thais Helena Peixoto Nunes Claudio Tinoco Mesquita
Abstract
To systematically assess the literature on the applicability of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with phase analysis in the investigation of cardiac dyssynchrony and in the selection of patients for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), manuscripts published on the PubMed database over the past five years have been reviewed. The following MeSH terms were used: heart failure, left ventricular, dyssynchrony, gated-spect, phase analysis and resynchronization therapy. Altogether, 99 manuscripts were included for discussion. Speckle-tracking echocardiography is still widely used in the evaluation of dyssynchrony, but the advent of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with the phase analysis technique has been gaining ground, as besides being operator-independent, it can evaluate myocardial viability in the same test. Its use became more widespread in patients with left bundle branch block, with recommendation of CRT. Phase analysis also allows evaluating, in a highly reproducible way, the last ventricular segment to contract, hence allowing the best positioning of the CRT electrode. Knowing that the presence, location and extent of fibrosis in the left ventricle, associated with dyssynchrony are determinants of response to resynchronization therapy, gated-SPECT can provide this information in a single test and in a reproducible and accurate way. Phase histogram offers several parameters that provide greater sensitivity and specificity to the method. It seems that the technique is able to add value both in the selection and in the evaluation of response of patients eligible to CRT. Further studies are being conducted to demonstrate its clinical applicability.
