SPECT/CT with 99mTc-sestamibi for the evaluation of skeletal muscle perfusion after electrical muscle stimulation in athletes

• Autor(a) principal: Birelli,Beatriz
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Oliveira,Mauricio, Santos,Allan de Oliveira, Manso,Willians, Vicente,Andreia, Etchebehere,Elba
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Radiologia Brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-39842019000200092
• topic: Electrical stimulation; Tomography, emission-computed, single-photon/methods; Tomography, X-ray computed/methods; Technetium Tc 99m sestamibi; Athletes; Muscle, skeletal/blood supply.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) on muscles, using 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 20 consecutive male professional water polo players. The mean age was 25 years (range, 18-36 years). All athletes underwent 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT of the thigh (rectus femoris and vastus medialis muscle groups) before and after EMS. Images were quantified to identify increases in perfusion after EMS. Results: Before EMS, there were no significant differences between the right and left thigh (rectus femoris and vastus medialis muscles) in terms of perfusion (p = 0.4). However, the comparison between the pre- and post-EMS analyses of the same muscle groups showed significant differences in radiotracer uptake (p < 0.001), with a mean increase in perfusion of 128% for the rectus femoris muscle group (95% CI: 0.86-1.61) and 118% for the vastus medialis muscle group (95% CI: 0.96-1.79). Conclusion: 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT is an objective means of evaluating blood flow in muscles submitted to EMS, which appears to promote significant increases in such blood flow.