Quantitative SPECT/CT parameters of myocardial 99mTechnetium-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) uptake in suspected cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis
Simona Ben‐Haim, Alexandre Chicheportiche, Elinor Goshen, Michael Arad, Mark Smekhov, Leon Menezes, Perry Elliott, Eoin O’Mahoney, Eli Stern, Bella Yuzefovich, J. Bomanji
Abstract
Abstract Background 99m Tc-labelled bisphosphonates are used for imaging assessment of patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR). Present study evaluates whether quantitative SPECT/CT measurement of absolute myocardial 99m Tc-labelled 3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (Tc-DPD) uptake can diagnose patients with suspected ATTR. Methods Twenty-eight patients (25 male, age 80.03 ± 6.99 years) with suspected ATTR referred for Tc-DPD imaging had planar and SPECT/CT imaging of the chest. Three operators independently obtained Tc-DPD myocardial SUVmax and SUVmean above threshold (SMaT) (20, 40 and 60% of SUVmax), using a semi-automated threshold segmentation method. Results were compared to visual grading (0–3) of cardiac uptake. Results Twenty-two patients (78%) had cardiac uptake (2 grade 1, 15 grade 2, 5 grade 3). SUVmax and SMaT segmentation thresholds enabled separating grades 2/3 from 0/1 with excellent inter- and intra-reader correlation. Cut-off values 6.0, 2.5, 3 and 4 for SUVmax, SMaT 20,40,60, respectively, separated between grades 2/3 and 0 /1 with PPV and NPV of 100%. SMaT 20,40,60 (cardiac)/SUVmean (liver) and SMaT 20,40,60 (cardiac)/SUV mean (liver/lung) separated grades 2 and 3. Conclusion Quantitative SPECT/CT parameters of cardiac Tc-DPD uptake are robust, enabling separation of patients with grades 2 and 3 cardiac uptake from grades 0 and 1. Larger patient cohorts will determine the incremental value of SPECT/CT quantification for ATTR management.