title: Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
abstract: Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is known to cause abnormal rest electrocardiogram and stress test. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy has been particularly indicated for the noninvasive evaluation of coronary artery disease in these patients. The study group consisted of 11 WPW patients with abnormal ST-segment depression at rest electrocardiogram and/or stress test, with the absence of signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease. All the patients underwent exercise thallium-201 imaging associated with stress test by bicycle ergometer: 7 of them had ST-segment depression, but without other signs or symptoms of coronary artery disease. Transient and moderate myocardial perfusion defects were found in 5 of 11 patients. Perfusion defects in patients with WPW could derive from dyssynergy of ventricular activation, which could modify myocardial perfusion scintigraphy despite the absence of angiographic coronary stenosis. Previous reports and our data concluded that transient perfusion defects during exercise thallium-201 testing in WPW patients without cardiovascular disease may be observed. Thus, thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy could present some limitations as a helpful adjunctive method for assessment of coronary artery disease in WPW patients.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pattoneri
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Astorri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calbiani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agnese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes