Nuclear Scan Report

My husband took a Sestamini Myocardial Perfusion Test and we have no idea what the report is saying. We are worried.

Excercise was performed on a treadmill using the Bruce protocol
The Patient excercised for a total of 19.00 minutes achieving a maximum heart rate of 187 and BP of 150/80. Excercise was termindated due to achievment of target heart rate.

The excercise study demostrated a small mild to moderate inferior wall deficit which appeared to fill in a rest suggestive of reversible ischaemic changes.

Addiotnally both the excercise and resting studies demonstrated a modertae antero-lateral wall deficit apically

A small apical deficit is alos noted on both the excercise and resting studies.

The latter however is probably an artifact due to partial volume effects / normal apical thinning.

In view of the noted deficits further evaluation with Cariogen PET is advised.

We just want this explained in lay man terms.

Thanks

[ed34]

I think in laymans terms, an area of the heart was found to have insufficient oxygen during exercise, but was fine during rest. Another area was found to have insufficient oxygen at both rest and exercise, which usually means dead tissue. However, they believe this is probably a scanner problem, so a PET scan is recommended to end the confusion.
Reversible ischaemic changes means the oxygen is too low for exercise in a given area of heart muscle, but adequate when you are resting. Hence reversible (it recovers).