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Title: Exercise /sup 201/thallium myocardial scans in patients with disease limited to the secondary branches of the left coronary system

Journal Article · · Clin. Cardiol.; (United States)

Coronary disease (greater than or equal to 50% narrowing) confined to only the diagonal branch of the left anterior descending artery or to the marginal branch of the left circumflex artery, or both, is uncommon. Only 19 patients with disease as defined above were identified in a group of 1000 consecutive patients with an angiographic diagnosis of coronary heart disease. All 19 patients were studied because of angina pectoris and all underwent stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with /sup 201/Tl (/sup 201/thallium) during maximal treadmill exercise testing (exercise electrocardiogram: E/ECG). Ten patients (52%) had positive E/ECG's; seven patients (36%) had positive /sup 201/Tl and 13 patients (68%) had one or both tests positive. In 12 patients, the diseased branch was small, i.e. it supplied a comparatively small portion of myocardium, and in seven patients it was determined to be large. The /sup 201/Tl test results were positive in four out of seven patients (57%) with large diseased branches, as compared with three out of 12 (25%) with small diseased branches (p: NS). Also, three out of seven patients (42%) with large diseased branches had positive E/ECG's as compared with seven out of 12 patients (58%) with small diseased branches (p: NS). Patients with branch disease may present with typical angina pectoris, however, they are rare and thus not likely to account for the majority of false-negative /sup 201/Tl test results among symptomatic patients with CHD. Approximately one-third of the patients with branch disease have positive /sup 201/Tl test results, one-half have positive E/ECG's, and in two-thirds, one or both tests are positive.

OSTI ID:
5442197
Journal Information:
Clin. Cardiol.; (United States), Vol. 2:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English