Diagnostic performance of a semiconductor gamma-camera system as studied by multicenter registry

Abstract

BackgroundDespite the introduction of the novel cadmium–zinc–telluride (CZT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in Japan; its diagnostic value in clinical practice remains largely unknown. MethodsThe Semiconductor SPECT Study group is a multicenter Japanese registry which registered 1000 patients to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the CZT camera system (Discovery NM530c; GE Healthcare, Haifa, Israel). The patients underwent stress myocardial SPECT and coronary angiography within a 3-month interval. A significant stenosis was defined as ≥75% diameter narrowing based on the American Heart Association classification. ResultsTechnetium (99mTc) radiotracer (555–1110MBq) was used in 71% and thallium-201 (201Tl) (74–148MBq) in 29%. The scan times with 99mTc-radiotracer were 5–10min for stress and 3–10min for rest, whereas those with 201Tl were 5–9min for stress and 8–10min for rest. To detect individual coronary stenosis, the respective sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies were 74%, 85%, and 81% for left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis, 76%, 89%, and 85% for left circumflex stenosis, and 72%, 86%, and 82% for right coronary artery stenosis. However, 66% sensitivity and 91% specificity for LAD stenosis were observed with 99mTc-radiotracer, whereas 88% sensitivity and 63% specificity were found with 201Tl. ConclusionsThe novel CZT SPECT system facilitated a short scan time with reduced radiotracer dose, yielding an acceptable diagnostic performance for angiographical coronary artery disease, although the low sensitivity for LAD detection with 99mTc-radiotracer needs to be refined.