EVALUATION OF ALLOGRAFT VASCULOPATHY WITH ELECTRON BEAM TOMOGRAPHY FOLLOWING CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION

Mehmet Ali Özatik, Şeref Alp Küçüker, Onurcan Tarcan, Haşmet Bardakçı, Göktan Aşkın, *Nihan Erdoğan, *Şekip Altunkan, Süha Küçükaksu, Erol Şener, Oğuz Taşdemir

Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Kliniği, Ankara

Background: Coronary artery disease observed on the allogreft is one of the most important reasons limiting long term survival following cardiac transplantation. Electron beam tomography (EBT) is a new and noninvasive modality that can identify coronary artery disease.

Methods: Between May 1998 - May 2002, 18 heart transplant operations were perbimed in our clinic. Five (4 male, 1 female) of these patients having longer than 12 months of follow up (between 14 and 48 months) underwent EBT study. One week after the EBT study coronary angiography and transthoracic echocardiography studies were also done and results were compared with he results of EBT study.

Results: None of the patients demonstrated coronary artery disease with both visualisation method. Ejection fraction analysis made with echocardiography and EBT were comparable.

Conclusions: Although coronary angiography is considered as gold standart for determining greft vasculopathy in transplanted hearts, EBT is a noninvasive alternative and can be used among transplant cohorts.

Keywords : Allograft vasculopathy, cardiac transplantation, electron beam tomography

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