Evaluation of coronary reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction by emission CT using technetium-99m pyrophosphate

Twelve patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction (AMI) were treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) following intracoronary thrombolysis using urokinase, and underwent technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (Tc-99m-PPi) imaging 9.2 +/- 2.1 hours after the onset of chest pain. The imaging was performed with emission computed tomography (ECT). Compared to planar imaging, this allowed more accurate detection of small myocardial infarcts and accurate measurements of infarcts irrespective of their location was also made. Early Tc-99m-PPi images were obtained to test the hypothesis that an early, abnormal Tc-99m-PPi image suggest successful reperfusion. The results were presented for two groups of patients: three with unsuccessful reperfusion (Group A) and nine with successful reperfusion (Group B). Eight of the nine patients with successful reperfusion had positive acute Tc-99m-PPi images. On the contrary, all the three patients for whom reperfusion failed had negative acute Tc-99m-PPi images. We also examined the feasibility of estimating infarct size using positive Tc-99m-PPi images in patients with successful reperfusion during the early phase of AMI. The Tc-99m-PPi uptake score (Tc-US) was used to measure infarct size in this study. Areas of increased Tc-99m-PPi uptake within myocardial infarcts were threshold at 60% of the peak activity. The Tc-US of each patient was obtained to sum the scores of all myocardial segments using a scoring system with a maximum score of 108. Using this method, Tc-US ranged from 2 to 39. The correlation of Tc-US with the peak serum creatine kinase level was significant (r = 0.91).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Early estimation of acute myocardial infarct size soon after coronary reperfusion using emission computed tomography with technetium-99m pyrophosphate

Early appearance of positive findings on a technetium-99m pyrophosphate scan has been shown to be associated with the presence of a reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Early technetium-99m pyrophosphate imaging was performed by emission computed tomography to evaluate reperfusion and to test the feasibility of estimating infarct size soon after coronary reperfusion based on acute positive tomographic findings. Twenty-seven patients with transmural AMI who were treated with intracoronary urokinase infusion followed by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty underwent pyrophosphate imaging 8.7 +/- 2.1 hours after the onset of AMI. None of the 8 patients in whom reperfusion was unsuccessful had acute positive findings. Of 19 patients in whom reperfusion was successful, 17 had acute positive findings (p less than 0.001). In these 17, tomographic infarct volumes were determined from reconstructed transaxial images. The threshold for areas of increased pyrophosphate uptake within the infarct was set at 60% of peak activity by the computerized edge-detection algorithm. The total number of pixels in all transaxial sections showing increased tracer uptake were added and multiplied by a size factor and 1.05 g/cm3 muscle to determine infarct volume. The correlations of tomographic infarct volumes with peak serum creatine kinase (CK) levels (r = 0.82) and with cumulative release of CK-MB isoenzyme (r = 0.89) were good. Moreover, the time to positive imaging was significantly shorter than that to peak CK level (8.5 +/- 2.3 vs 10.4 +/- 2.2 hours, p less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Measurement of myocardial infarction fraction using single photon emission computed tomography

Although infarct size correlates generally with prognosis after acute myocardial infarction, an absolute measure of infarct size may have differing prognostic significance depending on absolute left ventricular mass. To test the hypothesis that single photon emission computed tomography can accurately measure myocardial infarct size as a percent of total left ventricular mass ("infarction fraction"), thallium-201 and technetium-99m pyrophosphate tomograms were acquired in 21 dogs 24 to 48 hours after fixed occlusion of the left anterior descending or circumflex coronary artery. Pathologic infarct weight was measured as the myocardial mass that showed no staining with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Scintigraphic infarct mass by technetium-99m pyrophosphate was calculated from the total number of left ventricular volume elements (voxels) demonstrating technetium-99m pyrophosphate uptake X voxel dimension [( 0.476 cm]3) X specific gravity of myocardium (1.05 g/cm3). Scintigraphic left ventricular mass was calculated in a similar fashion using an overlay of the thallium-201 and technetium-99m pyrophosphate scans. The "infarction fraction" was calculated as: infarction fraction = infarct mass/left ventricular mass. There was good correlation between single photon emission computed tomography and pathologic measurements of infarct mass (technetium-99m pyrophosphate mass = 1.01 X pathologic infarct mass + 0.96; r = 0.98), left ventricular mass (single photon emission computed tomographic left ventricular mass = 0.60 X pathologic left ventricular mass + 37.4; r = 0.86) and "infarction fraction" (single photon emission computed tomographic infarction fraction = 1.09 X pathologic infarction fraction - 1.7; r = 0.94).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Measurement of myocardial infarct size by technetium pyrophosphate single-photon tomography

The primary determinant of prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the size of the acute infarct. The present study evaluates 46 patients with different infarct distributions and sizes to test the hypothesis that single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m pyrophosphate (Tc-99m-PPi) and blood pool overlay allows measurements of AMI size that provide insight into prognosis irrespective of infarct location. Identical Tc-99m-PPi and ungated blood pool projections were acquired over 180 degrees with a rotating gamma camera. Reconstructed sections were color-coded and superimposed for purposes of infarct localization. Areas of increased pyrophosphate uptake within myocardial infarcts were thresholded at 65% of peak activity. The blood pool was thresholded at 50% and subtracted so as to determine an endocardial border for the left ventricle. Using this method, myocardial infarcts weighed 2.5 to 81.2 g. The correlation of infarct mass with prognosis showed that patients without previous AMI and with acute infarcts that weighed more than 40 g had an increased frequency of death and congestive heart failure (p less than 0.001). The correlation of measured infarct mass with peak serum creatine kinase level was significant (r = 0.83, p less than 0.001; y = 0.015x + 13.20). The correlation coefficients for anterior, inferior and nontransmural AMI were not significantly different from those for the entire group. In conclusion, tomographically determined infarct mass data correlate with subsequent clinical prognosis, and Tc-99m-PPi tomography with blood pool overlay is a safe and effective means of sizing infarcts in patients with AMI.     

Measurement of infarct size using single photon emission computed tomography and technetium-99m pyrophosphate: a description of the method and comparison with patient prognosis

The application of dual tracer transaxial emission computed tomography of the heart was studied with use of technetium-99m pyrophosphate and technetium-99m-labeled red blood cells for measuring infarct size in 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 10 without infarction. Imaging was performed with a standard gamma camera and with a multidetector transaxial emission computed tomographic body scanner 3 hours after injection of technetium-99m pyrophosphate. Immediately after the scanning procedure, technetium-99m pertechnetate was injected to label red blood cells, and the scanning protocol was repeated. Technetium-99m pyrophosphate was detected in the anterior wall with involvement of the interventricular septum or lateral wall in patients with electrocardiographic criteria for anterior infarction, whereas uptake was detected in the diaphragmatic left ventricular wall with involvement of the posterior, posteroseptal or posterolateral left ventricle or of the right ventricle in patients with electrocardiographic criteria for inferior or posterior infarction. Infarct size measured from transaxial images ranged from 14.0 to 117.0 g in weight. There was a direct relation between infarct size and patient prognosis in that, of the 13 patients with infarct greater than 40 g, 11 (85 percent) had complications, whereas only 2 (29 percent) of 7 patients with an infarct less than 40 g had complications during a follow-up period averaging 17.8 months (p less than 0.05).     

Myocardial infarct quantification in the dog by single photon emission computed tomography

Radionuclide techniques for sizing acute myocardial infarction have been hampered by the intrinsic limitations of the scintillation camera. Emission computed tomography can overcome these limitations. Single photon emission computed tomograms of the distribution of technetium-99m pyrophosphate in acute anterior and posterior infarcts were obtained in 16 dogs after death. Tomograms were also obtained in 10 dogs during life without gating. The size of the infarcts was determined by staining gross sections of the heart with nitro blue tetrazolium, dissecting out the infarcted tissue and weighing it. Infarct sizes were determined from the tomographic images and compared with the measured infarct sizes. Good images showing the location and three-dimensional extent of the infarcts were obtained in all dogs. The measured and calculated infarct sizes correlated well (r = 0.85). Comparison of the calculated sizes in the living (non-gated) and dead ("physiologically" gated) animals showed reasonable agreement (r = 0.87). Single photon emission computed tomography is a feasible and useful technique for localizing and sizing acute myocardial infarctions.     

Scintigraphic visualization of myocardial infarcts in baboons using thallium-201 and technetium-99m pyrophosphate.

4 baboons with myocardial infarcts were evaluated using thallium-201 for myocardial imaging and 99Tcm pyrophosphate for infarct visualization. Scintiphotographic findings were compared with the size of myocardial infarcts calculated from measurements of the activity of MB isoenzymes of creatine kinase (CK-MB) in serum and in the myocardium at autopsy, as described by Sobel's method. Lack of thallium-201 accumulation was noted in left ventricular infarcts of 3 of the 4 baboons. These same areas localized 99Tcm pyrophosphate administered 24--30 h after infarction.     

New method of estimating myocardial infarct size using technetium-99m pyrophosphate and thallium-201 dual single photon emission computed tomography imaging

A new method was devised to estimate infarct size using dual single photon emission computed tomography with thallium-201 and technetium-99m pyrophosphate. Designating the ratio of infarct area to whole myocardial volume as %MI, the correlation of %MI with other markers of left ventricular dysfunction was examined: peak creatine kinase, ejection fraction and left ventricular asynergy. As %MI correlated well with these markers, it is considered that %MI will be useful for estimating infarct size and predicting the severity of left ventricular dysfunction in the early stage of acute myocardial infarction.     

Abnormal technetium-99m pyrophosphate images in unstable angina: Ischemia versus infarction?

There is controversy concerning the specificity of myocardial infarct imaging with technetium-99m pyrophosphate due to the high frequency of false positive images, especially in patients with unstable angina. In this study technetium-99m pyrophosphate images were compared with frequent determinations of plasma creatine kinase, MB isoenzyme (MB CK) activity in 116 patients admitted with the diagnosis of unstable angina. It was hypothesized that frequent measurement of MB CK activity, a sensitive and specific marker for myocardial necrosis, using sensitive assay techniques would detect small amounts of myocardial necrosis which might have been unrecognized by conventional clinical methods. The scintigraphic results and isoenzyme determinations agreed in 88 percent of patients; both tests were normal in 69 percent and both were abnormal, indicating acute myocardial infarcation, in 19 percent of patients. In the remaining 14 patients (12 percent), the scans were abnormal, but MB CK activity was normal. In five of these patients (4 percent), abnormal scintigrams presumably reflected persistent scan positivity after previous myocardial infarction. Only the remaining nine patients (8 percent) could be classified as having unexplained false positive scans, a frequency substantially less than that reported by other investigators who based the diagnosis of myocardial infarction on conventional clinical criteria. These results suggest that abnormal technetium-99m pyrophosphate images in patients with unstable angina generally indicate myocardial necrosis.     

Early noninvasive detection of reperfusion and infarct by intravenous technetium 99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy following thrombolysis

To determine whether technetium-99-pyrophosphate accumulation immediately after intravenous thrombolysis can serve as a marker of reperfusion and infarct size, 17 patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied. Immediately after thrombolysis 10 mCi of technetium-99m pyrophosphate were injected intravenously. Coronary and left ventricular angiography were then performed in all patients, revealing patent coronary arteries in 13 patients. In all patients, 0.3 and 0.5 mCi of thallium-201 were injected into the right and left coronary artery, respectively, followed by planar scintigraphy. 6 patients with patent coronary arteries and a large thallium-201 defect had massive (more than one third of the cardiac silhouette) pyrophosphate accumulation (group A), whereas 7 patients with a small or no thallium-201 defect in the presence of a patent infarct artery had either focal or no pyrophosphate accumulation (group B). In contrast, 4 patients with an occluded infarct artery showed no acute pyrophosphate uptake despite a large thallium-201 defect (group C). Emission computed tomography confirmed the planar scintigraphic data in group A patients and revealed small thallium-201 defects and focal pyrophosphate accumulation in group B patients with negative planar scintigrams. Global and regional ejection fractions in the infarct area, measured from the acute and follow-up left ventricular angiograms, were higher in group A than in group B and C patients. It is concluded that early intravenous technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing intravenous thrombolysis may serve as an indicator of reperfusion and infarct size.     

Improved detection of myocardial infarction by emission computed tomography with thallium-201. Relation to infarct size.

Emission computed tomography with thallium-201 was compared with planar imaging in its ability to detect myocardial infarctions of various sizes four weeks after the onset. Tomography was performed after planar imaging at rest in 160 patients with a first myocardial infarction, in whom infarct size was prospectively estimated by the peak value of creatine kinase activity at the time of the acute episode and in 39 patients without infarction. The planar images and the transaxial, short axial, and long axial tomograms were interpreted qualitatively. Tomography was significantly more sensitive than planar imaging in detecting anterior (87% v 96%), inferior (73% v 97%), and non-transmural (47% v 87%) infarcts. The increased sensitivity was confined to detecting small infarcts as assessed by the peak creatine kinase value (44% v 89% when peak creatine kinase activity was less than or equal to 1000 IU/l). The overall sensitivity was 96% for tomography and 78% for planar imaging. The specificity was similar (92%) with the two techniques. Thus emission computed tomography can improve the detection rate of small infarcts that cannot be identified on planar images, by showing the three dimensional distribution of thallium-201, and increases the diagnostic value of thallium-201 scintigraphy.     

Mechanisms contributing to myocardial accumulation of technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate after coronary arterial occlusion.

The relation between the accumulation of pyrophosphate and technetium-99m in myocardium with reversible and irreversible ischmic injury was studied in dogs subjected to transitory or persistent coronary arterial occlusion. Among four dogs with coronary occlusion maintained for less than 20 minutes, none had either increased MB creatine kinase (CK) (the "myocardial" CK isoenzyme) activity serum or a positive 99mTc stannous pyrophosphate image. Seven dogs with coronary occlusion maintained for 30 or more minutes had elevated serum MB CK activity, and five of the seven had positive (abnormal) images. Thus, although false negative images may occur occasionally despite myocardial damage, both increased serum MB CK and abnormal images generally accompanied prolonged coronary occlusion. In contrast, ischemia without infarction was not associated with abnormal images. Both 99mTc and 32P labeled pyrophosphate were accumulated extensively and proportionally in myocardium from zones of infarction, and uptake of both tracers was comparable although modest in isolated mitochondria. Similar results were obtained after myocardial infarction in animals with induced profound leukopenia. Thus, phagocytosis of the radiopharmaceutical agent by leukocytes migrating into the infarct is not an essential mechanism accounting for uptake. These results indicate that abnormal images reflect uptake of pyrophosphate, associated with 99mTc, by irreversibly injured myocardium rather than leukocytic infiltration involved in the inflammatory response in the heart.     

Quantitative estimation of infarct size by simultaneous dual radionuclide single photon emission computed tomography: comparison with peak serum creatine kinase activity.

To test the hypothesis that simultaneous dual energy single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with technetium-99m (99mTc) pyrophosphate and thallium-201 (201TI) can provide an accurate estimate of the size of myocardial infarction and to assess the correlation between infarct size and peak serum creatine kinase activity, 165 patients with acute myocardial infarction underwent SPECT 3.2 +/- 1.3 (SD) days after the onset of acute myocardial infarction. In the present study, the difference in the intensity of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation was assumed to be attributable to difference in the volume of infarcted myocardium, and the infarct volume was corrected by the ratio of the myocardial activity to the osseous activity to quantify the intensity of 99mTc-pyrophosphate accumulation. The correlation of measured infarct volume with peak serum creatine kinase activity was significant (r = 0.60, p less than 0.01). There was also a significant linear correlation between the corrected infarct volume and peak serum creatine kinase activity (r = 0.71, p less than 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed a high correlation between corrected volume and peak creatine kinase activity in patients with anterior infarctions (r = 0.75, p less than 0.01) but a poor correlation in patients with inferior or posterior infarctions (r = 0.50, p less than 0.01). In both the early reperfusion and the no reperfusion groups, a good correlation was found between corrected infarct volume and peak serum creatine kinase activity (r = 0.76 and r = 0.76, respectively; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Estimating the size of myocardial infarction by magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE--To develop a method to measure myocardial infarct size by magnetic resonance imaging and to compare the results with pyrophosphate scanning by single photon emission computed tomography. DESIGN--All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging and pyrophosphate scanning 5-7 days after the onset of symptoms. Both measurements of infarct size were compared with the release of creatine kinase MB and with ventricular performance estimated by radionuclide ventriculography. PATIENTS--19 patients (age 40-68 years) who had sustained their first uncomplicated myocardial infarction and who had not been treated with thrombolytic therapy. RESULTS--The site of infarction was clearly shown by both imaging techniques and was identical in each patient. The volume of infarcted tissue measured by magnetic resonance imaging agreed well with the infarct size measured by single photon emission tomography (mean difference 2.7 cm3). Correlations of both imaging techniques with the release of creatine kinase MB were best when total release rather than peak release was used. Both imaging techniques correlated closely with the subsequent ventricular performance. CONCLUSIONS--Magnetic resonance imaging after acute infarction allows measurement of infarct size and this may prove useful in assessing new treatments designed to salvage myocardium.     

Advantages of technetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy over plasma enzyme analysis in estimation of anterior myocardial infarct size

Infarct size was estimated by cumulative creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CKMB-r) release and by technetium 99m stannous pyrophosphate (TcPYP) scintigraphy in 27 patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction. In eight patients, scintigraphy showed a central area of reduced tracer uptake surrounded by a peripheral rim of increased TcPYP accumulation ("doughnut" pattern). This appearance occurred only in large infarcts and the maximal scintigraphic area (51.3 +/- 2.8 cm2, mean +/- SEM) in this group was significantly greater than that in the remainder (28.1 +/- 2.5 cm2). Correlation between CKMB-r and maximal scintigraphic infarct area was moderate in the whole group. Exclusion of patients, however, with "doughnut" scintigrams in which correlation was very poor, resulted in substantial improvement in the remainder. It is suggested that in the central regions of large "doughnut" infarcts, reduced blood flow hinders the efflux of CKMB from the centre causing an underestimate of infarct size. Pyrophosphate scintigraphy appears to be more accurate than CKMB release in measuring the size of these large anterior infarcts.     

Advantages of technetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy over plasma enzyme analysis in estimation of anterior myocardial infarct size.

Infarct size was estimated by cumulative creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CKMB-r) release and by technetium 99m stannous pyrophosphate (TcPYP) scintigraphy in 27 patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction. In eight patients, scintigraphy showed a central area of reduced tracer uptake surrounded by a peripheral rim of increased TcPYP accumulation ("doughnut" pattern). This appearance occurred only in large infarcts and the maximal scintigraphic area (51.3 +/- 2.8 cm2, mean +/- SEM) in this group was significantly greater than that in the remainder (28.1 +/- 2.5 cm2). Correlation between CKMB-r and maximal scintigraphic infarct area was moderate in the whole group. Exclusion of patients, however, with "doughnut" scintigrams in which correlation was very poor, resulted in substantial improvement in the remainder. It is suggested that in the central regions of large "doughnut" infarcts, reduced blood flow hinders the efflux of CKMB from the centre causing an underestimate of infarct size. Pyrophosphate scintigraphy appears to be more accurate than CKMB release in measuring the size of these large anterior infarcts.     

Scintigraphic quantification of myocardial necrosis in patients after intravenous injection of myosin-specific antibody

The Fab fragments of antimyosin antibodies, labeled with 99mTc, were used in the scintigraphic examination of 30 patients with myocardial infarction. The ability to detect necrosis and determine its extent from the antimyosin scan were compared with the results of quantitative regional wall motion analysis by contrast ventriculography at 10 to 14 days and 99mTc-pyrophosphate imaging. Antimyosin images recorded by planar and single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) delineated areas of myocardial necrosis in 27 of 30 patients (90%) compared with a 91% sensitivity of pyrophosphate in 21 of 23 patients. Infarct size was determined by both antimyosin and pyrophosphate SPECT images. Results by both techniques showed a significant correlation with computer-derived hypokinetic segment length (r = .79 for both, p = .002) and peak creatine kinase (r = .9 for both, p less than .01). Although sensitivity for and correlations with markers of necrosis were similar with both techniques, infarct size by pyrophosphate SPECT was 1.7 times larger than infarct size by antimyosin SPECT (p less than .01). Certain zones in the infarct area were differentially labeled; the nature and irreversibility of injury within these zones remains to be clarified.     

Improved detection of myocardial infarction with technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate and serum MB creatine phosphokinase.

The relative sensitivity and combined value of myocardial technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate imaging and determinations of serum MB creatine phosphokinase (the "myocardial" CPK isoenzyme) in detecting acute myocardial infarction were evaluated in 41 patients with suspected infarction and 23 patients recovering from cardiac surgery. In the patients with suspected infarction, myocardial infarction was confirmed in 25 and was consistently associated with increased serum MB CPK. Abnormal radionuclide images were obtained in 23 of 25 patients (92 percent) with definite myocardial infarction and in 2 of 16 patients without confirmed infarction. Although the localization of infarction by imaging correlated well with the localization by electrocardiogram, infarct size estimated by imaging did not correlate well with estimates based on peak total serum CPK activity or serial changes in CPK activity. Serum MB CPK activity increased after cardiac surgery in 6 patients undergoing valve replacement and in 17 patients undergoing coronary arterial bypass surgery. However, no patient with valve replacement and only 1 of the 17 with bypass surgery had an abnormal radionuclide image. These results suggest that (1) abnormal radionuclide images in patients without infarction can be distinguished from abnormal images indicative of ischemic necrosis by consideration of MB CPK activity and (2) interpretation of elevated MB CPK activity, particularly in particularly in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, is facilitated by evaluation with imaging.     

Quantification of myocardial infarction: a comparison of single photon-emission computed tomography with pyrophosphate to serial plasma MB-creatine kinase measurements

Single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PPi) has been shown to estimate size of myocardial infarction accurately in animals. We tested the hypothesis that SPECT with 99mTc-PPi and blood pool subtraction can provide prompt and accurate estimates of size of myocardial infarction in patients. SPECT estimates are potentially available early after the onset of infarction and should correlate with estimates of infarct size calculated from serial measurements of plasma MB-creatine kinase (CK) activity. Thirty-three patients with acute myocardial infarction and 16 control patients without acute myocardial infarction were studied. Eleven of the patients had transmural anterior myocardial infarction, 16 had transmural inferior myocardial infarction, and six had nontransmural myocardial infarction. SPECT was performed with a commercially available rotating gamma camera. Identical projection images of the distribution of 99mTc-PPi and the ungated cardiac blood pool were acquired sequentially over 180 degrees. Reconstructed sections were color coded and superimposed for purposes of localization of infarct. Areas of increased PPi uptake within myocardial infarcts were thresholded at 65% of peak activity. The blood pool was thresholded at 50% and subtracted to determine the endocardial border for the left ventricle. Myocardial infarcts ranged in size from 1 to 126 gram equivalents (geq) MB-CK. The correlation of MB-CK estimates of size of infarct with size determined by SPECT (both in geq) was good (r = .89 with a regression line of y = 13.1 + 1.5x).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The clinical estimation of acute myocardial infarct size with 99mTechnetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy

We evaluated scintigraphic techniques in estimating infarct size. In 26 patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction, 99mTechnetium pyrophosphate (TcPYP) infarct scintigraphy, gated cardiac blood pool scintigraphy and 201-Thallium (201-Tl) perfusion scintigraphy were performed. Invasive hemodynamic measurements were obtained and serial venous blood specimens taken for measurement of total and MB creatine phosphokinase (CPK). In farct size was estimated from the area of abnormal TcPYP uptake, the extent of reduced 201-Tl uptake, the percentage of abnormally contracting segments, and serial enzyme measurements. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and stroke work index (LVSWI) were calculated. TcPYP infarct area was associated with the extent of reduced 201-Tl uptake (r = 0.66), the percentage of abnormally contracting segments (r = 0.64), and with both LVSWI (r = 0.73) and LVEF (r = 0.58). TcPYP infarct area did not correlate with cumulative total or MB-CPK release or the integrated total CPK-time curve, nor did the enzyme estimates of infarct size correlate with LVSWI or LVEF. Variable perfusion of infarcts of different sizes may explain the lack of correlation between TcPYP infarct area and enzyme estimates of infarct size. A combination of anatomic and functional indices derived from scintigraphic and hemodynamic measurements may provide the best assessment of infarct size.