A novel PET perfusion radiotracer, 18F-flurpiridaz, can diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) in obese patients with a higher sensitivity and specificity compared to 99Tc-SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI)

Figure 1. Image showing abnormal 18F-flurpiridaz PET (stress top, rest bottom) for a 60-year-old female with body mass index of 46 kg/m2; subsequent angiography showed significant blockage in right coronary artery.


June 28, 2023 — A novel PET perfusion radiotracer, 18F-flurpiridaz, can diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) in obese patients with a higher sensitivity and specificity compared to 99Tc-SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), according to research presented at the 2023 Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting. 18F-flurpiridaz PET MPI obtained images at a lower radiation dose than 99Tc-SPECT MPI and performed similarly in both obese and non-obese patients.

Obese individuals frequently have medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure that put them at higher risk of developing CAD. Due to these risk factors, imaging obese patients for CAD is very important.

“Due to their body shape, it’s often hard to image obese individuals,” said Krishna Patel, MD, assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai in New York. “This can result in inferior image quality and diagnostic performance despite requiring a higher dose of radiation.”

The study reports on a pre-specified subgroup of a phase III multicenter trial of 18F-flurpiridaz. A total of 604 patients with suspected CAD across 48 sites in the United States, Canada and Europe were enrolled in the study. Patients underwent one-day rest-stress 18F-flurpiridaz PET MPI or one- or two-day rest-stress 99mTC-SPECT MPI before undergoing invasive coronary angiography. MPI images were read by three experts blinded to clinical and invasive coronary angiography data. Sensitivity and specificity for 18F-flurpiridaz PET MPI and 99mTC-SPECT MPI were calculated and then compared between PET and SPECT MPI among obese and non-obese groups.

Of the 578 patients with evaluable studies, 298 (51.6 percent) were classified as obese. 18F-flurpiridaz PET MPI had a sensitivity of 77 percent and a specificity of 67 percent in diagnosing significant CAD, while 99mTC-SPECT MPI had a sensitivity of 69.2 percent and specificity of 61.9 percent. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 18F-flurpiridaz PET MPI was similar in non-obese and obese sub-groups.

“Our research shows that 18F-flurpiridaz stress cardiac PET imaging is excellent for diagnosing significant coronary artery disease even in obese patients, and at a lower radiation dose than traditional 99mTC-SPECT MPI,” stated Patel.

Patel also noted that 18F-flurpiridaz could significantly increase availability of and access to PET myocardial perfusion imaging across the country, and potentially all over the world. “We know that PET perfusion is the best noninvasive imaging modality for CAD; however, thus far, the availability of stress cardiac PET myocardial perfusion imaging is limited across the world, as both significant investment for the generator and large patient volume are required for it to make economic sense,” she said. “With availability as a unit dose, 18F-flurpiridaz can disrupt this space, as suddenly now most—if not all—centers that offer PET for oncology can now perform stress perfusion studies.”

For more information: www.snmmi.org

Find more SNMMI23 conference coverage here

 


Related Content

Feature | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Robert L. Bard, MD, and Lennard M. Gettz, EdD

Since the advent of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam on human patients in the late 1970s, this innovation ...

Time September 25, 2023
arrow
News | Computed Tomography (CT)

September 19, 2023 — An advanced CT test can identify individuals with stable angina at a reduced risk of three-year ...

Time September 19, 2023
arrow
News | Ultrasound Imaging

September 15, 2023 — Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is underutilized in the United States, and reduced access to ...

Time September 15, 2023
arrow
News | PET-CT

September 8, 2023 — Positron Corporation, a leading molecular imaging medical device company, is pleased to announce ...

Time September 08, 2023
arrow
News | PET-CT

September 7, 2023 — The groundbreaking AURA 10 specimen imager by Belgian MedTech pioneer XEOS has been cleared by the ...

Time September 07, 2023
arrow
Feature | PET Imaging

According to a new report from Transparency Market Research (TMR), PET radiotracers are expected to rise at a CAGR of 8 ...

Time September 05, 2023
arrow
News | Radiology Imaging

August 24, 2023 — Medical imaging via X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds provide health-care professionals with ...

Time August 24, 2023
arrow
News | Artificial Intelligence

August 10, 2023 — Blackford, the pioneering strategic imaging AI platform and solutions provider, and AI4MedImaging, a ...

Time August 10, 2023
arrow
News | Ultrasound Imaging

August 3, 2023 — Butterfly Network, Inc. a digital health company transforming care through the power of portable ...

Time August 03, 2023
arrow
News | Prostate Cancer

July 28, 2023 — Blue Earth Diagnostics, a Bracco company and recognized leader in the development and commercialization ...

Time July 28, 2023
arrow
Subscribe Now