Introduction:
The current AATS and AHA/ACC guidelines recommend maximal exercise stress test (mEST) to identify ischemia and direct decision-making in patients (pts) with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA). Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (sCMR) has reliably identified myocardial perfusion abnormalities.
Hypothesis:
We hypothesize that EST and sCMR do not agree in the detection of inducible ischemia in AAOCA.
Methods:
AAOCA pts <21 years old were prospectively enrolled and evaluated following a standardized approach from 12/2012-12/2019. mEST was performed in pts ≥6 years old, except those who presented with cardiac arrest or physical limitations. Demographic data, coronary anomaly type, EST (symptoms, ST changes, arrhythmias, metabolic parameters) and sCMR data were collected. A mEST was defined as max HR ≥85%ile with a subgroup defined as respiratory exchange ratio (RER) >1.05. Abnormal mEST included: significant ST changes (≥1 mm horizontal or downsloping ST-depression, ≥2 mm upsloping ST depression, ST elevation), high-grade arrhythmia, abnormal peak VO2 (<85% predicted). Continuous and categorical variables were compared using Wilcoxon-Rank sum and Fisher’s exact/χ2 respectively. McNemar’s test was used to determine the agreement between EST and sCMR.
Results:
Of 147 pts with AAOCA and both EST and sCMR, 140 achieved max HR ≥85%ile on EST. Table 1 compares demographics and EST parameters in pts with inducible ischemia on sCMR (+sCMR) vs without (-sCMR). Significant ST changes were seen in 2/26 (7.7%) pts with +sCMR compared to 8/114 (7%) pts with -sCMR. An abnormal mEST did not agree with sCMR in identifying inducible ischemia (McNemar p < 0.001) in all AAOCA patients who achieved max HR, nor in the sub-group with RER >1.05 (n = 88).
Conclusions:
mEST does not agree with sCMR in identifying inducible ischemia in patients with AAOCA. Our data suggest that mEST should not be used alone for the detection of inducible ischemia.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, myocardial scar and coronary flow pattern in anomalous origin of left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery
