Evaluation of myocardial perfusion by thallium-201 imaging at rest and during exercise. Comparison with ECG stress testing.
In order to assess the accuracy of thallium-201 cardiac imaging at rest or during exercise in detecting permanent or transient myocardial damage, we studied 49 patients with angiographically documented coronary disease (31 with previous myocardial infarction) and 29 patients with normal coronary arteries. The resting thallium scan was significantly more accurate in detecting previous myocardial infarction (31 patients) than the resting ECG (22 patients) (P < 0.01). The combination of thallium imaging and ECG stress testing revealed reversible myocardial ischemia in 41 of the 49 patients (84%), compared with 28 of 49 (57%) detected by ECG stress testing alone (P < 0.01). Thallium imaging was more accurate in ruling out coronary disease (26 of 29 patients, 90%) than ECG stress testing (19 of 29 patients, 65%) (P < 0.05). In patients with previous myocardial infarction, thallium imaging alone or in combination with ECG stress testing was not significantly more sensitive than ECG stress testing alone.
D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D006334:Heart Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013793:Thallium
D011868:Radioisotopes; D013793:Thallium