Serial /sup 201/Tl myocardial imaging after dipyridamole infusion: diagnostic utility in detecting coronary stenoses and relationship to regional wall motion

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · Circulation; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.66.3.649· OSTI ID:6656987

Leppo, J; Boucher, C A; Okada, R D; Newell, J B; Strauss, H W; Pohost, G M

After a 4-minute i.v. dipyridamole infusion, 0.14 mg/kg/min, serial /sup 201/Tl scans were obtained in 60 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. Forty patients had significant (greater than or equal to 50% stenosis) coronary artery disease (CAD), and 20 patients had normal coronary arteries or trivial lesions. The images were graded qualitatively for thallium activity by three observers. Sensitivity was 93% (37 of 40) and specificity was 80% (16 of 20). The sensitivity and specificity of the /sup 201/Tl study were not affected by the extent of CAD, the presence of Q waves, or propranolol therapy. Twenty-seven of 37 patients who had initial defects (73%) had complete thallium redistribution of one or more defects. Patient-by-patient analysis using a regression model of all patients showed that the fate of a segmental thallium defect predicted abnormal wall motion by angiography better than ECG Q waves. The presence of propranolol therapy or collaterals did not significantly affect the thallium redistribution results. We conclude that qualitative interpretation by multiple observers of thallium images after dipyridamole infusion is a highly sensitive and specific test for CAD. After dipyridamole, as with exercise stress, the extent of thallium redistribution is related to the degree of myocardial wall motion abnormality.

• Research Organization: Cardiac Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
• OSTI ID: 6656987
• Journal Information: Circulation; (United States), Vol. 66:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
MYOCARDIUM
SCINTISCANNING
THALLIUM 201
DIAGNOSTIC USES
CORONARIES
DYNAMIC FUNCTION STUDIES
PATIENTS
RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS
ARTERIES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BLOOD VESSELS
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEART
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MUSCLES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
USES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
550901 - Pathology- Tracer Techniques