CAPABILITY OF NUCLEAR-MEDICINE PROCEDURES IN THE FOLLOW-UP OF HEART-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Actually more than 80% of heart recipients survive the first postopera tive year. Early death is mainly caused by rejection and acute infecti on. After the first year progressive graft atherosclerosis has the gre atest impact on prognosis. The review presents scintigraphic methods t hat have reached clinical impact in the diagnosis of rejection and vas cular complications. Immunoscintigraphy with In-111-labelled monoclona l antibodies against myosin proved to be of importance in the diagnosi s of rejection especially in long-term follow-up. Perfusion scintigrap hy reveals vital and ischemic myocardium. In hear? transplant recipien ts radionuclide ventriculography has been widely replaced by echocardi ography. Up to now, the evaluation of increasing nerval integration wi th I-123-MIBG has not reached clinical impact.