Myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging in patients with myocardial bridging

Abstract

Cardiac SPECT studies can be used effectively for assessing ischemia in patients with angina and myocardial bridging. The evaluation of myocardial perfusion with dipyridamole stress SPECT imaging showed a good agreement with exercise stress SPECT imaging for the detection of ischemia in this group of patients.

Prevalence and predictors of bridging of coronary arteries in a large Indonesian population, as detected by 64-slice computed tomography scan

“…In our study, 29% of the patients with MB had a positive exercise stress test, which is in line with previous work by Bourassa et al [37], who reported ischaemic ECG findings in 28-67%. However, higher rates were found by others, especially in the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy or severely bridged coronary segments [38,39].…”

Incidence and clinical significance of myocardial bridging with ECG-gated 16-row MDCT coronary angiography

“…MDCT coronary angiography has been accepted for the noninvasive imaging technique of choice for the diagnosis of myocardial bridging. Other non-invasive imaging techniques for assessing ischemia, such as dobutamine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MRI stress perfusion, and myocardial perfusion SPECT may be helpful in the functional assessment of the significance of myocardial bridging [22][23][24].…”

2011 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

“…There are no data assessing stress MPI in patients with HCM with myocardial bridges; however, reports of patients with myocardial bridges who do not have HCM suggest that stress perfusion abnormalities may be commonly detected in the vascular territory distal to the bridge. 205 Although it has been suggested that systolic compression of a bridged coronary artery may not be responsible for ischemia because most coronary blood flow takes place in diastole, angiographic studies have demonstrated arterial compression in diastole as well. 206,207 If chest pain symptoms in a patient with HCM are suspected to be related to abnormal coronary blood flow (as a result of bridging), beta blockers may be effective in controlling the symptoms.…”