Resting coronary flow and coronary flow reserve in human infants after repair or palliation of congenital heart defects as measured by positron emission tomography

Objective: Coronary physiology in infants with congenital heart disease remains unclear, Our objective was to better understand coronary physiology in infants with congenital heart disease, Methods: We used positron emission tomography with nitrogen 13-labeled ammonia to measure myocardial perfusion at rest and with adenosine (142 mu g/kg/min x 6 minutes) in five infants after anatomic repair of a congenital heart lesion (group I), and in five infants after Norwood palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (group II), The groups were matched for age, weight, and time from the operation, Results: Resting coronary flow in the left ventricle in group I was 1.8 +/- 0.2 ml/min/gm; resting how in the right ventricle in group II was 1.0 +/- 0.3 ml/min/gm (p = 0.003), Coronary flow with adenosine was 2.6 +/- 0.5 ml/min/gm in group I and 1.5 +/- 0.7 ml/min/gm in group II (p = 0.02), Absolute coronary flow reserve was the same in both groups (1.5 +/- 0.2 in group I vs 1.6 +/- 0.3 in group II, p = 0.45), Oxygen delivery was reduced in group II compared with group I at rest (16.1 +/- 4.2 ml/min/100 gm vs 28.9 +/- 4.42 ml/min/100 gm, p = 0.02) and with adenosine (25.5 +/- 8.1 ml/min/100 gm vs 42.3 +/- 5.8 ml/min/100 gm, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Infants with repaired heart disease have higher resting flow and less coronary flow reserve than previously reported for adults, After Norwood palliation, infants have less perfusion and oxygen delivery to the systemic ventricle than do infants with a repaired lesion, This may in part explain why the outcome far patients with Norwood palliation is less favorable than for others.