Myocardial imaging and metabolic studies with [17-123I]iodoheptadecanoic acid.

After intravenous administration of the stearic acid analogue [17-123I]iodoheptadecanoic acid (I-123 HA), myocardial metabolism was studied in ten normal individuals, eight patients with coronary artery disease and three patients with congestive heart failure. High-quality images were obtained in sequential scintigraphy of I-123 metabolically bound in myocardial tissue. Infarcted zones as well as ischemic regions are indicated by reduced tracer uptake. Iodine-123 in the blood pool and interstitial space consists mainly of radioiodide that is liberated by fatty-acid metabolism and was corrected for. Using the proposed correction not only are the images improved but the uptake and elimination of the I-123 in the myocardial cells can be followed. The average disappearance half-time of I-123 HA from the myocardium of normal persons was 24 +/- 4.7 min. In patients with coronary artery disease significant differences between myocardial regions were observed.