Accuracy and long-term prognostic value of pacing stress echocardiography compared with dipyridamole Tl emission computed tomography in patients with a permanent pacemaker and known or suspected coronary artery disease

Objectives: Myocardial ischemia is difficult to assess by noninvasive methods in patients with a permanent pacemaker. Pacing stress echocardiography (PASE) has been used successfully in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there are no data comparing PASE and other methods. Methods: We compared agreement and accuracy of PASE and radionuclide tomography (SPECT) in detecting CAD in 58 patients, mean age 75 ± 7 years, with a permanent pacemaker and known or suspected CAD. Thirty-nine patients underwent coronary angiography. The prognostic value of these tests was determined by prediction of cardiac events and cardiac death. Results: PASE and SPECT were positive in 39 and 43 patients, respectively. The agreement between the tests was 75%; kappa value 0.64. The sensitivity was 87 and 96% and the specificity 78 and 57%, respectively. With median follow-up of 51 months, there were 24 cardiac events and 8 cardiac deaths. Multivariable analysis determined that positive PASE was the only independent predictive factor associated with cardiac events and cardiac death. Conclusions: PASE is a feasible and effective method for detection of significant CAD in patients with permanent-pacemaker and allows effective risk stratification. PASE merits further study in larger prospective comparative studies.