Rest/exercise thallium myocardial perfusion imaging: a new and rapid technique to evaluate coronary artery disease.
Twenty-six patients underwent conventional exercise/4-h redistribution thallium myocardial perfusion imaging as well as rest/exercise imaging on different days. For the rest/exercise study, patients were imaged 10 min after receiving 1 mCi thallium at rest. The resting study was immediately followed by symptom-limited treadmill exercise. Patients were injected with 2 mCi thallium at peak exercise and imaged 10 min later. The entire rest/exercise study was completed in 2 h. There was a high degree of correlation between the two studies. Of the 130 segments analysed, 84 were normal and 46 were abnormal by exercise/redistribution imaging whereas 88 were normal and 42 were abnormal by rest/exercise imaging. Among the 14 patients who had coronary arteriography, both exercise/redistribution and rest/exercise imaging correctly identified 23/35 segments as abnormal (sensitivity [pi003] 66%) and 34/35 segments as normal (specificity = 97%). Furthermore, abnormal segments were more likely to be reversible on the rest/exercise study. The results suggest that the accuracy of rest/exercise thallium imaging is equal to conventional exercise/redistribution imaging in the evaluation of coronary artery disease. The significant time economy and possible improvement in assessing myocardial viability are important potential advantages of this new technique.
Segall
G M
GM
Nuclear Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304.
Zipkin
R E
RE
D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012146:Rest; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D013997:Time Factors
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes