[Role of left ventricle angioscintigraphy during exercise in the diagnosis of coronary disease. Comparison of static and dynamic exercise].

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of exercise stress testing, Thallium 201 myocardial scintigraphy or after administration of dipyridamole and left ventricular angioscintigraphy performed either during a static (handgrip) or dynamic exercise (bicycle ergometry) for the positive diagnosis of stenosing coronary artery disease. The exercise angioscintigraphy was performed at equilibrium with 99m Tc red blood cell labelling. The global ejection fraction and that of seven radial segments of the left ventricle were measured, the data being recorded within a period of 2 minutes. The handgrip consisted in compressing a dynamometric ball at 1/3 maximal force for 3 minutes, with both hands; the ergometric exercise was increased by 30 Watt 2 minute increments until a positive ECG or 85% of the theoretical maximal heart rate for age was obtained. Normal subjects (n = 29) increased their global (+ 8%) and regional ejection fractions in each of the seven segments (p less than 0.05) during ergometric exercise: there was no significant change of global (-3% NS) or segmental ejection fractions during the handgrip exercise. In the coronary group (at least one greater than 70% stenosis) (n = 61) the fall in global ejection fraction was the same (-14%) with both forms of exercise; a similar fall in the segmental ejection fraction in the territory distal to the stenosis was observed with the handgrip (-22%) and bicycle ergometry (-28% NS). Dynamic exercise testing seemed superior to handgrip exercise. Therefore, the finding of an abnormal global ejection fraction on exercise (i.e. either a global ejection fraction less than the lower limit of normal on exercise, or lower than the global ejection fraction at rest), or of an abnormal regional ejection fraction (i.e. either a regional ejection fraction less than the lower limit of normal over at least 3 segments, or a regional ejection fraction on exercise lower than the regional ejection fraction at rest over at least 3 segments) detected coronary artery disease with a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 72%. Dynamic exercise angiography seemed to be more sensitive than maximal ECG stress testing (94% compared to 64%) more rapidly positive (p less than 0.05), as sensitive (94% compared to 83% NS) than Thallium myocardial scintigraphy, but less specific (72% compared to 90%, p less than 0.05), and as unspecific as ECG stress testing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)