Technetium-99m-pyrophosphate scintigraphy in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction: impact of interobserver variability

Am Heart J. 1985 Aug;110(2):347-52. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(85)90155-3.

Abstract

Technetium-99m-pyrophosphate (TcPYP) scintigraphy may have great value in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but interobserver variability undoubtedly has adverse impact on predictive value. TcPYP scintigrams for 133 (80%) of 166 consecutive patients admitted for suspected AMI were interpreted independently by three experienced readers. Although there was complete agreement for 87 interpretations (65%), major discrepancies (i.e., at least one positive and one negative reading on the same scan) occurred for 28 scans (21%). To assess predictive accuracy, patients were categorized as follows: 36 had definite AMI manifest by new ECG Q waves and/or CK-MB evidence of AMI (group I), 56 were classified as possible AMI (group II), and 41 had AMI excluded (group III). Using only the definitive diagnostic categories (groups I and III), accuracy for each reader approximated 0.68, with no single reader being correct more often than any other.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Creatine Kinase / blood
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Diphosphates*
  • Electrocardiography
  • Humans
  • Isoenzymes
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnosis
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnostic imaging*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate
  • Technetium*

Substances

  • Diphosphates
  • Isoenzymes
  • Technetium Tc 99m Pyrophosphate
  • Technetium
  • Creatine Kinase