Prognostic value of thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with unstable angina who respond to medical treatment

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0735-1097(91)90829-X· OSTI ID:5802462

Brown, K A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington (USA)

Although the prognostic value of thallium-201 imaging is well established, its ability to risk stratify patients who present with unstable angina is unclear. Fifty-two consecutive patients admitted with unstable angina who responded to medical treatment and underwent stress thallium-201 imaging within 1 week of discharge were studied. Patients were followed up for 39 +/- 11 months. Cardiac events included cardiac death (n = 3), nonfatal myocardial infarction (n = 4) and admission for unstable angina or revascularization (n = 17). The ability of thallium-201 data (redistribution, fixed defects, normal) to predict cardiac events was compared with clinical data (age, gender, prior myocardial infarction, anginal syndrome, rest and stress electrocardiogram) and cardiac catheterization data using logistic regression. Thallium-201 redistribution was the only significant predictor of cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (p less than 0.05). The number of myocardial segments with thallium-201 redistribution (p less than 0.0005) and a history of prior myocardial infarction (p less than 0.05) were the only significant predictors of all cardiac events. Cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred more frequently in patients with thallium-201 redistribution (6 (26%) of 23) than in those without redistribution (1 (3%) of 29, p less than 0.05). Similarly, total cardiac events developed more frequently in patients with thallium-201 redistribution (p less than 0.001). Stress thallium-201 imaging has important prognostic value in patients admitted with unstable angina who respond to medical therapy and can identify subgroups at high versus low risk for future cardiac events.

• OSTI ID: 5802462
• Journal Information: Journal of the American College of Cardiology; (USA), Vol. 17:5; ISSN 0735-1097
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
EXERCISE
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
PATIENTS
SURVIVAL CURVES
THALLIUM 201
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics