skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Exercise thallium-201 scintigraphy in the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery disease

Journal Article · · Annals of Internal Medicine; (USA)
;  [1]
  1. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (USA)

The objective of this study is to determine the discriminant accuracy of exercise thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. This is a survey of the National Library of Medicine MEDLINE database. The key medical subject headings used were coronary disease, myocardial infarction, radionuclide imaging, and thallium. A total of 122 retrieved studies were considered relevant and were reviewed in depth. Only studies reporting both the sensitivity and specificity of thallium scintigraphy were analyzed. Discriminant accuracy for diagnosis and prognosis was summarized in terms of pooled sensitivity and specificity. Exercise thallium scintigraphy is useful in the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease, especially in patients with abnormal resting electrocardiograms, restricted exercise tolerance, and intermediate probability of having disease at the time of testing as well as of defining the prognosis of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, especially in those with previous myocardial infarction. Because of various shortcomings in the published record, however, the marginal discriminant accuracy and cost effectiveness of thallium scintigraphy compared with conventional clinical assessment and exercise electrocardiography remain controversial. 193 references.

OSTI ID:
6071553
Journal Information:
Annals of Internal Medicine; (USA), Vol. 113:9; ISSN 0003-4819
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English