Comparison of maximal elastance and systolic wall thickening using arterial tonometry and gated myocardial SPECT in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

Myocardial SPECT using 99mTc-sestamibi, 99mTc-tetrofosmin, 201Thallium is widely used in nuclear cardiology. Left ventricular systolic wall thickening (SWT) by SPECT and regional maximal elastance (rEmax) using arterial tonometry were compared.rEmax was calculated from time–pressure and time–volume curves. In normal heart, improvement of SWT was 4.1±11%, while 6.0±16% in dilated heart. Improvement of rEmax was 0.67±1.0 mmHg/mL in normal heart and 0.32±0.7 mmHg/mL in dilated heart (p<0.05). rEmax can be an alternative variable as an index of regional contractility.