Thallium-201 as a myocardial imaging agent

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-2998(77)80007-X· OSTI ID:7120581

Strauss, H W; Pitt, B

The field of myocardial perfusion imaging has made many advances but still is in its infancy. The limitations in the technology at this time include limited instrument resolution of 6--9 mm, intrinsic at the energy of the mercury x-ray; significant Rayleigh scatter, which is particularly disturbing because this scatter cannot be removed by pulse-height analysis; and an effective half-life of thallium in the myocardium, which makes repeated imaging over a short period of time very difficult. Although hopes for the development of a technetium-labeled myocardial imaging tracer have burnt brightly, no new agents are presently in sight. Resolution with a technetium-labeled tracer would almost double that of thallium, and the dose that could be administered to the patient would increase by at least a factor of 4. The effective half-life of the tracer in the myocardium would permit multiple images to be obtained at least in the same day. Even with the limitations of the current techniques, however, myocardial perfusion imaging can make a real contribution to the care of the patients with heart disease. Thallium is now produced commercially and reasonably easily obtained. Extraction of thallium by the myocardium is probably somewhat, but not exactly, analogous to potassium. The tracer has major applications in defining shape and size of the heart, thickness of muscle, and expecially myocardial ischemia and infarction. This review is aimed at providing a current perspective of these uses.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
• OSTI ID: 7120581
• Journal Information: Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Semin. Nucl. Med.; (United States) Vol. 7:1; ISSN SMNMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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