Significance of dobutamine-induced ST-segment elevation and T-wave pseudonormalization in patients with Q-wave myocardial infarction: simultaneous evaluation by dobutamine stress echocardiography and thallium-201 SPECT

The clinical significance of stress-induced ST-segment elevation and T-wave pseudonormalization in infarct-related leads is still controversial. Therefore, we conducted the present study to assess this issue using simultaneous dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography. A total of 119 patients with Q-wave myocardial infarction were enrolled in this study. There were 58 patients with (group I) and 61 patients without (group II) dobutamine-induced ST-T changes. Left ventricular ejection fraction was 43 ± 13% in group I and 49 ± 14% in group II (p <0.05). The baseline, low-, and peak-dose global wall motion scores were similar between these 2 groups (26.2 ± 6.1 vs 26.2 ± 6.3 [p = NS]; 24.1 ± 5.3 vs 23.5 ± 5.7 [p = NS]; 26.4 ± 5.7 vs 26.7 ± 6.1 [p = NS]). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of these ST-T changes for detecting residual myocardial viability and ischemia documented by DSE in all patients were 50%, 53%, and 51% (for viability), and 47%, 48%, and 47% (for ischemia), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of these ST-T changes for detecting a reversible perfusion defect documented by thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography were 51%, 54%, and 52%, respectively. In conclusion, dobutamine-induced ST elevation and/or T-wave pseudonormalization is associated with poor resting left ventricular function. These ST-T changes are not associated with residual myocardial ischemia and viability in the infarct area. Therefore, these electrocardiographic changes alone cannot be reliably considered as distinctive markers in formulating the therapeutic strategy of coronary intervention.