Purpose: Although surgical treatments evolved, the short-term postoperative mortality is still high in children with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), and long-term survivors may suffer from restrained functional recovery. Therefore, an optimal means in predicting postoperative reversal is demanded. In this study, we assess the utility of myocardial perfusion/F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging in the evaluation of myocardial viability and postsurgery functional recovery in children with ALCAPA.
Materials and methods: A retrospective study was performed in 7 children with diagnosed ALCAPA who underwent myocardial perfusion/F-18 FDG imaging preoperatively. Global viability index was used to evaluate myocardial viability and was compared with the preoperative deviations of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) from age-matched healthy children and with the postoperative durations of intensive care.
Results: Children with more viable myocardium had less severe clinical symptoms. The viability index was correlated well with the preoperative deviations of LVEF (r = -0.98, P = 0.001) and LVEDD (r = 0.87, P = 0.02) and postoperative durations of intensive care hospitalization (r = 0.77, P = 0.04) and mechanical ventilation (r = 0.83, P = 0.02). LVEF and LVEDD reached normal range within 5 months in viable children, whereas incomplete reversal was observed in partial- and nonviable children.
Conclusions: In children with ALCAPA, myocardial viability evaluated by perfusion/F-18 FDG imaging is related to the preoperative clinical manifestations and cardiac function. Additionally, it may predict functional recovery after surgical repair.