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Contribution of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in the Initial Assessment of Acute Coronary Syndromes Without ST Elevation for the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction or Differential Diagnoses

Contribution of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in the Initial Assessment of Acute Coronary Syndromes Without ST Elevation for the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction or Differential Diagnoses

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07112820
Acronym
APRICOT
Enrollment
100
Registered
2025-08-08
Start date
2024-06-24
Completion date
2026-11-30
Last updated
2025-08-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Myocardial Infarction (MI)

Keywords

acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation, emergency cardiology

Brief summary

Patients with myocardial infarction require invasive treatment involving coronary angiography to confirm the diagnosis and, in most cases, treatment by angioplasty/stenting. Trans-thoracic ultrasound is central to the initial management of patients admitted to hospital with acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation. The aim of our study is therefore to compare perfusion ultrasound with coronary angiography and MRI in this population in order to determine whether the performance is satisfactory.

Detailed description

Patients with myocardial infarction require invasive treatment via coronary angiography to confirm the diagnosis and, in most cases, treatment by angioplasty/stenting. In the case of acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation (NSTEMI), myocardial infarction is suspected but cannot be confirmed. The recommendations suggest that, in cases of low suspicion, a non-invasive ischaemia test should be performed, but in cases of high suspicion, coronary angiography should be performed immediately (1). In cases of NSTEMI, segmental kinetic abnormalities on echocardiography place the patient under high suspicion of infarction and justify coronary angiography without prior ischaemia testing. However, certain kinetic abnormalities may be related to causes other than infarction: stress cardiomyopathy (TakoTsubo), left bundle branch block, pacemaker stimulation, myocarditis, leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful invasive examinations. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is central to the initial management of patients hospitalised for NSTEMI, both to confirm the diagnosis and to detect any immediate complications.The use of contrast agents during TEE is already recommended to improve the quality of the examination, as it increases the echogenicity of patients, and several studies have demonstrated its usefulness in analysing myocardial perfusion (2). The only contrast agent currently available in France is Sonovue® (Bracco Imaging). Microbubbles are lipid 'shells' containing a gas (sulphur), with a diameter similar to that of red blood cells (less than 7 μm). The behaviour of microbubbles in the circulation and capillaries can therefore be likened to that of red blood cells, which allows for better visualisation of all the structures through which blood flows (3). Its use is not contraindicated in the acute phase of a myocardial infarction and has few adverse effects (4). Several studies have shown that the use of contrast agents during perfusion ultrasound can improve the diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease (5) and distinguish stress-induced heart disease (TakoTsubo) from myocardial infarction (6-8). No studies have looked at patients with kinetic disorders of other aetiologies (bundle branch block, pacemaker). Furthermore, in certain patients presenting with actual myocardial infarction with segmental kinetic abnormalities but no significant coronary lesions on coronary angiography, myocardial MRI is of definite value in confirming or ruling out the diagnosis of healthy coronary artery infarction (1). However, the use of MRI in routine practice is severely limited by the lack of MRI facilities in many centres or by delays in obtaining results that are incompatible with the urgency of diagnosis. Compared to computed tomography (CT) and MRI, the advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound are 1) the possibility of real-time imaging and 2) the absence of nephrotoxicity, risk of hyperthyroidism and radiation exposure. The aim of our study is therefore to compare perfusion ultrasound with coronary angiography and MRI in this population so that, if the results are satisfactory, certain invasive examinations currently considered essential can be avoided.

Interventions

OTHERperfusion ultrasound

During the examination, the power of the probe will be increased in order to assess myocardial perfusion. The contrast agent bubbles are destroyed by applying a 'flash', i.e. a temporary increase in the power of the ultrasound beam. Systole after systole, on a recorded loop, the filling velocity of the myocardium, which depends on myocardial blood flow, is analysed. The assessment of perfusion is visual and qualitative.

Sponsors

Fondation Hôpital Saint-Joseph
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

prospective single-centre cohort study for diagnostic purposes

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient over 18 years of age * Hospitalised in cardiology as an emergency for acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation with indication for coronary angiography within 72 hours of admission * Not yet undergone coronary angiography. * Troponin \>99th percentile, i.e. \>27ng/l (troponin I, hypersensitive, Abbott) * With de novo segmental kinetic disorder on TTE or ECG repolarisation disorder outside ST elevation * Patient affiliated with a health insurance scheme * French-speaking patient * Patient who has given their free, informed and written consent

Exclusion criteria

Haemodynamically unstable patient: HR \> 100 and/or systolic blood pressure \< 90 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure \< 60 mmHg and/or oxygen saturation \< 92% in AA and/or clinical signs of hypoperfusion (mottling, cyanosis) * Rhythmically unstable patient: sustained ventricular tachycardia, sudden death recovered. * Patient with a known allergy to ultrasound contrast medium * Patient with ST segment elevation. * Patient with a contraindication to MRI. * Patient with a caricatured picture of myocarditis (fever and/or significant biological inflammatory syndrome with CRP\>50mg/l) * Patients already included in a type 1 interventional research protocol (RIPH1) * Patients under guardianship or curatorship * Patients deprived of their liberty * Patients under judicial protection * Pregnant or breastfeeding patients (negative pregnancy test for women of childbearing age)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) (diagnosis obtained by consensus of two cardiologists based on all blinded examinations of the ultrasound results).inclusion visitContrast-enhanced ultrasound (same measurements) according to recommendations, performed and interpreted by cardiologist 1, then reviewed and reinterpreted by the cardiologist. The reference diagnosis will be established by two cardiologists. The two cardiologists will therefore work blind to the examination being evaluated.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Concordance between the diagnosis of TET from perfusion and the 'gold standard' (diagnosis obtained by consensus of two cardiologists based on all blinded examinations of the echo results). Kappa coefficientvisit inclusionThe two cardiologists will each give their diagnosis independently. If there's a disagreement between them, a third cardiologist (cardiologist number 5) will be called in to help, and the final decision will be made by majority vote. The two cardiologists will therefore work blind to the test being evaluated.

Countries

France

Contacts

Primary ContactYoann MOEUF, medical doctor
ymoeuf@ghpsj.fr+33 1 44 12 62 44

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026