Comparison of thallium-201 scanning in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and severe coronary artery disease

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Circulation; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.66.4.804· OSTI ID:6432513

Dunn, R F; Uren, R F; Sadick, N; Bautovich, G; McLaughlin, A; Hiroe, M; Kelly, D T

To determine whether cardiomyopathy could be distinguished from coronary artery disease, we used thallium scanning to study 25 patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction and chronic heart failure. Ten patients had normal coronary arteries and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (ejection fraction 20 +/- 5%), and 15 patients had multivessel coronary disease and left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction 25 +/- 6%). The exercise time and maximal heart rate were similar in the two groups. Two patients with cardiomyopathy and 11 with coronary artery disease had a positive exercise ECG (p<0.05). Thallium scans showed perfusion defects in all 25 patients. The perfusion defects were complete in nine coronary artery disease patients (60%) and in one patient (10%) with cardiomyopathy (p<0.05). Extensive defects involving more than 40% of the left ventricular circumference, the number of segments involved, redistribution on the 4-hour scan, lung uptake and ventricular size were similar in the two groups. Perfusion defects on thallium scanning can occur in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and chronic heart failure. Thallium scanning cannot be reliably used in patients with chronic heart failure to distinguish coronary artery disease from cardiomyopathy unless complete defects are present.

• Research Organization: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
• OSTI ID: 6432513
• Journal Information: Circulation; (United States), Journal Name: Circulation; (United States) Vol. 66:4; ISSN CIRCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EXERCISE
HEART
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
TESTING
THALLIUM 201
THALLIUM ISOTOPES