The myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: A new non-invasive exploration of children cardiac pathologies in Benin

Abstract

Pediatric nuclear cardiology is in progress in the world. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy has been performing on children since four decades in advanced countries. It is a noninvasive diagnostic tool in the management of pediatric coronary lesions in connection with congenital heart disease or other cardiovascular pathologies. It is performed after injection of Technetium radiopharmaceuticals at rest or under physical or pharmacological stress. Synchronized with the ECG, it allows the evaluation of myocardial kinetics, end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes of the left ventricle and the systolic ejection fraction. It is rarely practiced or almost nonexistent in Frenchspeaking sub-Saharan Africa, in particular in Benin. It will be made available from 2021 at the Cotonou in the Mother and Child’s Teaching Hospital “Lagune” (CHU-MEL). This awareness article is a summary of the practice of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in children based on data from the literature.