Thallium-201 scintigraphy in the diagnosis and management of myocardial sarcoidosis.
We have described three patients with clinical evidence of myocardial sarcoidosis to illustrate the utility of thallium-201 scintigraphy in demonstrating the myocardial lesions. Both the symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals studied showed the characteristic "reverse redistribution" phenomenon. No abnormalities were seen during the exercise phase of the thallium study, but myocardial defects were detected in each patient when repeat studies were obtained at rest six hours later. Steroid therapy resolved the defects in each case. We propose thallium-201 scintigraphy of the heart as a safe and useful tool for documenting myocardial involvement in sarcoidosis and following the effects of therapy.
Fields
C L
CL
Division of Respiratory and Environmental Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Ky 40292.
Ossorio
M A
MA
Roy
T M
TM
Denny
D M
DM
Varga
D W
DW
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013793:Thallium; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; C027549:thallium chloride; D013793:Thallium