Utilization statistics and diagnostic accuracy of a nonhospital-based positron emission tomography center for the detection of coronary artery disease using rubidium-82.

Abstract

A retrospective analysis has been carried out to determine utilization and diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography of the heart with rubidium-82 at a nonhospital-based center. Utilization statistics were derived for the first 27 months of operation of the center from a total of 1,670 patients scanned. Diagnostic accuracy for detection of coronary artery disease was assessed using three readers, blinded to the clinical information, who read 225 rest and dipyridamole-stress scans of patients that had a coronary angiogram. Utilization statistics show that the center averaged 64 patients per month, 66% were males, 38% of the patients scanned had a coronary angiogram, 25% had a history of myocardial infarction, 12% had coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and 18% had percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Sensitivity was 82%, 96%, and 100% for myocardial regions perfused with greater than 67%, 84%, and 100% diameter stenosis, respectively. Specificity was 91% for all normal regions of the heart. Accuracy was 89%, 93%, and 93% for regions with greater than 67%, 84%, and 100% diameter stenosis, respectively. These results compare well with published results from major hospital based centers.