title: Myocardial imaging artifacts caused by mitral valve annulus calcification.
abstract: Knowledge of imaging artifact of myocardial perfusion studies with thallium-201 is critical for improving the diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery disease. Three patients are described who underwent exercise or pharmacologic stress thallium-201 imaging studies and had a moderate, fixed myocardial perfusion defect (scar) involving the posterolateral and inferoposterior walls of the left ventricle. This was an imaging artifact caused by a heavily calcified mitral valve annulus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina 27858-5354.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Wagoner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Movahed
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Reeves
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004176:Dipyridamole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D004176:Dipyridamole