Noninvasive detection of multivessel disease after myocardial infarction by exercise radionuclide ventriculography

The ability of exercise radionuclide ventriculography to detect multivessel coronary artery disease in patients who survived a single myocardial infarction was assessed. Seventy-four patients who had had myocardial infarction at least 8 weeks earlier underwent cardiac catheterization and exercise radionuclide ventriculography. Thirty-eight patients had had an inferior infarction: 25 with multivessel disease and 13 with single vessel disease of the right coronary artery. Thirty-six patients had had an anterior infarction: 26 with multivessel disease and 10 with single vessel disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Among patients with anterior infarction there was no significant difference between patients with single vessel disease and patients with multivessel disease with regard to resting ejection fraction, exercise ejection fraction, and the mean change from rest to exercise. Patients with single vessel disease had a decrease in ejection fraction from rest to exercise of 2.2 ± 2.7% units (mean) ± standard error SE]), compared with a decrease of 5.4 ±1.3% units in those with multivessel disease (p = not significant NS]). Seventeen of 26 (65%) patients with multivessel disease and 6 of 10 (60%) with single vessel disease had a decrease in ejection fraction of at least 5 percentage units (p = NS).

In patients with inferior infarction there was no difference in the mean resting ejection fraction in those with single vessel disease (53 ± 2%) compared with those with multivessel disease (50 ±2%); however, the mean exercise ejection fraction in patients with single vessel disease (57 ± 3%) was significantly higher (p < 0.005) than that in patients with multivessel disease (45 ± 2%). Sixteen of the 25 patients with multivessel disease (64%) but only 1 patient with single vessel disease (7.7%) had a decrease in ejection fraction of at least 5 percentage units (p < 0.001).

A new wall motion abnormality developed in 8 patients with anterior infarction and 11 with inferior infarction with multivessel disease and none with single vessel disease. The sensitivity and specificity in predicting multivessel disease using the criteria of the development of a new wall motion abnormality or a decrease in ejection fraction with exercise of at least 5 percentage units were 80 and 92% for the patients with inferior infarction, but only 69 and 40% for the patients with anterior infarction.

These results suggest that exercise radionuclide angiography can be used to discriminate between single and multivessel disease after inferior myocardial infarction. For patients with anterior infarction, only a new abnormality in wall motion accurately predicts multivessel disease, but this occurred in only one third of such patients.