Prognostic significance of increased thallium-201 lung uptake during dipyridamole myocardial scintigraphy: comparison with exercise scintigraphy.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the incidence of cardiac events among patients with increased lung uptake of thallium after dipyridamole stress, matched subjects without such uptake and matched subjects with increased lung uptake during exercise stress.


METHODS
Retrospective case control study based on quantitative and semiquantitative visual consensus analysis of thallium scintigraphy.


METHODS
Nuclear cardiology laboratory of a university teaching hospital.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients with increased lung activity after dipyridamole stress and two groups of matched control subjects identified from 3150 consecutive thallium single photon emission computed tomography studies.


METHODS
Telephone follow-up and chart reviews to determine the incidence of cardiac events.


RESULTS
Cardiac events were significantly less frequent in the study group with increased lung uptake after dipyridamole stress (two of 36,5%) than in the control group with increased thallium lung uptake at exercise scintigraphy (nine of 36,25%; P = 0.046).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased lung uptake of thallium has less ominous short term prognostic significance when observed in association with dipyridamole stress rather than with exercise.
Cox
J L
JL
Department of Medicine, Toronto Hospital, Ontario.
Wright
L M
LM
Burns
R J
RJ
D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004176:Dipyridamole; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes / Q000494:pharmacology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole