Restenosis after transluminal coronary angioplasty detected with exercise-gated radionuclide ventriculography

Forty-one patients were evaluated with exercise-gated radionuclide ventriculography before and within 4 days after successful transluminal coronary angioplasty and 4 to 12 months later. Patients were subgrouped according to the degree of restenosis demonstrated angiographic ally at 4 to 12 months (Group I [n = 23]: ≤20%; Group II [n = 10]: >20% but <50%; Group III [n = 8]: ≥50%). Patients with abnormal findings on gated radionuclide ventriculography (<5 point increase in ejection fraction or wall motion deterioration) early after angioplasty were eventually found to have a greater degree of restenosis than were patients with normal findings (41.2 ± 30.3 versus 19.0 ± 25.4% restenosis, p < 0.0001). The accuracy of abnormal radionuclide ventriculography in predicting 50% or greater restenosis was 73% immediately after angioplasty and 77% at the time of follow-up angiography. Gated radionuclide ventriculography results were abnormal in 5% of Group I patients compared with 75% of Group III patients (p < 0.01) early after angioplasty; at late follow-up, they were abnormal in 27% of Group I patients compared with 88% of Group III patients (p < 0.01). Group I patients had a greater increase in ejection fraction than did Group III patients at early ( + 11.3 ± 7.5 versus + 3.5 ± 6.5 points, p < 0.01) and late ( + 11.8 ± 7.8 versus −1.9 ± 8.7 points, p < 0.0005) follow-up. It is concluded that gated radionuclide ventriculography is useful in predicting coronary restenosis after transluminal coronary angioplasty.