Comparison of technetium-99m-Q3 and thallium-201 for detection of coronary artery disease in humans.
Technetium-99m-Q3 is a myocardial imaging agent that produces prompt myocardial visualization in humans.


METHODS
In 19 patients with angiographic coronary artery disease, 2 patients with no angiographic coronary artery stenosis greater than 50% of the luminal diameter and 6 healthy volunteers, exercise and resting myocardial imaging were performed with 99mTc-Q3 and also with 201Tl. Technetium-99m-Q3 imaging began 15 min after injection at rest and with exercise, in a complete imaging sequence that required less than 100 min.


RESULTS
Overall accuracy for coronary disease detection was 78% (21 true-positive or true-negative studies among 27 study participants) by tomographic thallium imaging versus 89% for 99mTc-Q3 tomographic imaging (p = ns). Accuracy for detection of individual coronary stenoses was 75% (61 true-positive or true-negative coronary segment classifications among 81 total coronary segments) for 201Tl imaging and 83% for 99mTc-Q3 imaging (p = ns).


CONCLUSIONS
Technetium-99m-Q3 when used in a rest-exercise sequence that can be completed in 100 min appears to provide comparable diagnostic accuracy to 201Tl for overall coronary disease detection and detection of individual coronary artery stenoses.
Gerson
M C
MC
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0542.
Lukes
J
J
Deutsch
E
E
Biniakiewicz
D
D
Washburn
L C
LC
Elgazzar
A H
AH
Elder
R C
RC
Walsh
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010720:Phosphines; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010720:Phosphines; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; C081212:technetium Tc 99m Q3