Quantitative analysis of thallium-201 uptake and washout before and after transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Transluminal coronary angioplasty has become an important therapeutic modality in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The effects of coronary angioplasty on regional myocardial perfusion have been reported in only a small series of patients, employing subjective analysis of thallium-201 perfusion scintigrams. Thus, we studied 61 patients with quantitative analysis of thallium-201 uptake and washout before and after undergoing angioplasty. Prior to angioplasty, there were 105 areas in 47 patients with abnormal thallium-201 uptake during exercise, with a mean uptake of 49 +/- 1.3%. The uptake of thallium-201 in these same areas increased to 71.3 +/- 1.9% post angioplasty (P less than 0.0001), and 68 (65%) of the areas showing abnormal uptake returned to normal. Abnormalities in washout of thallium-201 before angioplasty were seen more frequently than in uptake (150 vs 105 areas, P less than 0.05), with 8 patients having abnormal washout in the presence of totally normal uptake. Thallium-201 washout in the abnormal areas improved from 16 +/- 2.8 pre angioplasty to -23 +/- 1.8% post angioplasty (P less than 0.001). Normalization resulted in 6 of the 8 patients with exclusively washout abnormality. Residual abnormalities in uptake and/or washout were seen in 53% of the patients, usually in areas with prior myocardial infarction or supplied by a vessel with significant stenosis which did not undergo angioplasty. Improved thallium-201 uptake and washout corresponded to reductions in percent coronary area stenosis (89 +/- 1.0 to 36 +/- 2.0%, P less than 0.001) and transstenotic pressure gradient (42 +/- 3.0 to 9.0 +/- 2.0 mm Hg, P less than 0.001). Thus, quantitative analysis of thallium-201 uptake and washout provided objective evidence for improved myocardial perfusion after coronary angioplasty. Due to a fairly high prevalence of residual perfusion abnormalities after this procedure, optimal assessment of benefits requires quantitative comparison of thallium uptake and washout before and after coronary angioplasty.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013793:Thallium
D011868:Radioisotopes; D013793:Thallium