Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Synchronized with ECG as Method for Evaluation of Cardiotoxicity of High-Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Malignant Lymphoproliferative Disorders

VO Sarzhevskii, DS Kolesnikova, MN Vakhromeeva, VYa Melnichenko

N.I. Pirogov National Medical and Surgical Center under the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 70 Nizhnyaya Pervomaiskaya str., Moscow, Russian Federation, 105203

For correspondence: Vladislav Olegovich Sarzhevskii, PhD, 70 Nizhnyaya Pervomaiskaya str., Moscow, Russian Federation, 105203; Tel.: +7(495)603-72-18; e-mail: vladsar@pochta.ru

For citation: Sarzhevskii VO, Kolesnikova DS, Vakhromeeva MN, Mel’nichenko VYa. Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Synchronized with ECG as Method for Evaluation of Cardiotoxicity of High-Dose Chemotherapy with Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Malignant Lymphoproliferative Disorders. Clinical oncohematology. 2015;8(1):84–90 (In Russ).


ABSTRACT

Background. High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous hematopoietic stem cells transplantation (auto-HSCT) is currently widely used for the treatment of relapsed and refractory to standard chemotherapy cases of malignant lymphoproliferative disorders. Cardiac monitoring of patients treated with HDC with subsequent auto-HSCT is performed by means of ECG and Echo-CG in most cases. The method of single-photon emission computed tomography of the left ventricle (LV) synchronized with ECG (gated-SPECT) is rarely used to assess cardiotoxic effect of HDC and auto-HSCT.

Objective. To evaluate perfusion and regional myocardial function of the left ventricle (LV) in patients with malignant lymphomas receiving HDC and auto-HSCT.

Methods. The study included 69 patients (37 with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 19 with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and 13 with multiple myeloma). The median age was 36 year (range from 19 to 66 years); 40 females, 29 males. Perfusion and regional LV function at rest before the HDC and auto-HSCT (point 1) and at discharge (point 2) were assessed. Each study was performed on a double-headed rotating gamma camera Forte (Philips, USA). 740 MBq of technetium-99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) was used as a radiopharmaceutical. Semiquantitative assessment of tomoscintigrams was performed using polar diagrams (20-segment model); they were used for complex analysis of perfusion and LF myocardium function parameters.

Results. The total area of hypoperfusion, expressed as a percentage of the area of the LV myocardium, did not change significantly during treatment (> 0.05). However, the segmental analysis demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the median uptake level of the radiopharmaceutical in 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17, and 19 segments (< 0.05). The total ejection fraction (TEF) did not change (median TEF was 59.5 % at point 1 and 58 % at point 2). But it showed a statistically significant decrease in median of local systolic thickening in 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 20 segments of the left ventricle (< 0.05).

Conclusions. HDC and auto-HSCT significantly change perfusion and regional LV myocardial function in patients with malignant lymphomas. The changes demonstrate diffuse myocardial damage. Gated-SPECT can be considered a promising method for assessing cardiotoxicity of HDC and auto-HSCT.


Keywords: high-dose chemotherapy, autologous hematopoietic stem cells transplantation, cardiotoxicity, gated-SPECT.

Received: July 23, 2014

Accepted: November 5, 2014

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