Research of food load (FL) influence during patients preparation for myocardium nuclear rest/stress test

Aims and objectives: to determine fat influence on image quality during myocardial SPECT by qualitative and quantitative analysis of radiotracer accumulation in myocardium in comparison with other tissues. Materials and methods: we have analyzed heart scintigrams of 48 patients. We have selected the ROIs on scintigrams above heart, liver, intestines and background accumulation. We have calculated ratio of the agent accumulation in the selected areas to myocardium. Results: quantitative data processing showed the greatest accumulation in the liver, with decreasing intensity after FL, but, in spite of image improvement, actual ratio of accumulation intensity in the heart and in the liver did not increase, which was confirmed by lack of statistic differences between the groups of patients. Conclusions Research of FL influence on quality of scintigrams during heart SPECT analysis showed no increase of radiotracer accumulation in myocardium. Acceptable image quality comparable with that of reference group was reached by standard programs of processing with use of background cut-off algorithm. FL influences only subjective perception of scintigrams. Lack of quantitative differences in heart-to-liver ratio of the radiotracer accumulation allows refusal to use FL without data loss in image processing.