technetium-tc-99m-tetrofosmin and Anemia--Sickle-Cell

To determine the mechanism of myocardial ischemia in patients with sickle beta-thalassemia, we performed a scintigraphic evaluation of myocardial perfusion during exercise.. We studied 30 patients with sickle beta-thalassemia, (mean [+/-SD] age, 37 +/- 10 years) who had no electrocardiographic (ECG), radiographic, or echo-Doppler signs of pulmonary hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, or impaired contractility. All patients had a hemoglobin level greater than 7 g/dL. Treadmill exercise test was performed according to the Bruce protocol. Myocardial perfusion was assessed by single-photon emission computed tomography, using Tetrofosmin Tc-99 m Myoview as radiotracer, at peak exercise and again 4 hours later.. Eight patients (27%) developed stress-induced scintigraphic perfusion abnormalities that were reversible in all but 1 patient. Subsequent coronary angiograms were normal in all 8 patients. ST segment depression was seen during exercise in 5 of the 7 patients who had reversible perfusion defects. Except for a significantly greater white blood cell count, these 5 patients did not differ from the rest of patients by sex, age, hemoglobin level, percentage hemoglobin F, beta-thalassemia genotype, or risk factors for coronary artery disease. Three of the 5 patients with perfusion and ECG abnormalities (and another with only perfusion defects) developed a stress-induced sickling crisis.. Physical stress may induce myocardial ischemia in sickle beta-thalassemia patients with normal coronary arteries and elicit painful crises. The sickling process, activated by exercise, could be the common underlying mechanism.

Topics: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Anemia, Sickle Cell; beta-Thalassemia; Coronary Circulation; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Organophosphorus Compounds; Organotechnetium Compounds; Radiopharmaceuticals; Statistics, Nonparametric; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon