Quantitative analysis of abdominal aortic blood flow by ^99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy in patients with heart failure

This study aimed to explore the characteristics of abdominal aortic blood flow in patients with heart failure (HF) using ^99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) renal scintigraphy. We investigated the ability of renal scintigraphy to measure the cardiopulmonary transit time and assessed whether the time-to-peak of the abdominal aorta (TTPa) can distinguish between individuals with and without HF.

We conducted a retrospective study that included 304 and 37 patients with and without HF (controls), respectively. All participants underwent ^99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy. The time to peak from the abdominal aorta’s first-pass time–activity curve was noted and compared between the groups. The diagnostic significance of TTPa for HF was ascertained through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression. Factors influencing the TTPa were assessed using ordered logistic regression.

The HF group displayed a significantly prolonged TTPa than controls (18.5 [14, 27] s vs. 11 [11, 13] s). Among the HF categories, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exhibited the longest TTPa compared with HF with mildly reduced (HFmrEF) and preserved EF (HFpEF) (25 [17, 36.5] s vs. 17 [15, 23] s vs. 15 [11, 17] s) (P < 0.001). The ROC analysis had an area under the curve of 0.831, which underscored TTPa’s independent diagnostic relevance for HF. The diagnostic precision was enhanced as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) declined and HF worsened. Independent factors for TTPa included the left atrium diameter, LVEF, right atrium diameter, velocity of tricuspid regurgitation, and moderate to severe aortic regurgitation.

Based on ^99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy, TTPa may be used as a straightforward and non-invasive tool that can effectively distinguish patients with and without HF.