Diffuse slow washout of myocardial thallium-201: a new scintigraphic indicator of extensive coronary artery disease
When coronary artery disease is extensive and of relatively uniform severity, regional myocardial hypoperfusion may be balanced during stress, precluding development of spatially relative perfusion defects. Assessment of the washout of thallium-201 from myocardial regions may provide diagnostic assistance in these cases because washout analysis is spatially nonrelative and hypoperfused myocardial regions manifest a slow thallium-201 washout rate. In 1,265 consecutive patients having quantitatively analyzed stress-redistribution scintigraphy, 46 had a diffuse slow washout pattern with no or a maximum of one regional perfusion defect. Thirty-two underwent clinically indicated coronary angiography, and 23 (72%) of these were found to have three vessel or left main disease. Of 30 similar patients without a diffuse slow washout pattern and with no or a maximum of one perfusion defect, only 5 (17%) had extensive coronary disease. An independent relation between diffuse slow washout and extensive coronary disease was demonstrated by a Mantel- Haentzel chi-square analysis of a wide variety of other indexes of extensive disease. A diffuse washout abnormality, even in the absence of other scintigraphic, clinical or electrocardiographic indicators, carries a high predictive value for three vessel or left main coronary artery disease. The predictive value is maintained when the exercise level achieved is submaximal. Although an infrequent occurrence (3.6% of tested patients), a diffuse slow washout pattern without other scintigraphic indications of extensive coronary disease should lead to further diagnostic testing.
- Research Organization:
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- OSTI ID:
- 6349533
- Journal Information:
- J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.; (United States), Vol. 4:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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BLOOD VESSELS
SCINTISCANNING
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
DIAGNOSIS
BLOOD CIRCULATION
EXERCISE
MYOCARDIUM
PATIENTS
THALLIUM 201
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEART
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MUSCLES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics