Value and limitations of segmental analysis of stress thallium myocardial imaging for localization of coronary artery disease.
- 1 May 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Circulation
- Vol. 61 (5), 973-981
- https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.61.5.973
Abstract
The value of Tl-201 myocardial scintigraphic imaging (MSI) for identifying disease in the individual coronary arteries was studied. Segmental analysis of rest and stress MSI was performed in 133 patients with arteriographically proved coronary artery disease (CAD). Certain scintigraphic segments were highly specific (97-100%) for the 3 major coronary arteries: anterior wall and septum for the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, the inferior wall for the right coronary artery (RCA) and the proximal lateral wall for the circumflex (LCX) artery. Perfusion defects located in the anterolateral wall in the anterior view were highly specific for proximal disease in the LAD involving the major diagonal branches but this was not true for septal defects. The apical segments were not specific for any of the 3 major vessels. Although MSI was abnormal in 89% of these patients with CAD it was less sensitive for identifying individual vessel disease: 63% for LAD, 50% for RCA and 21% for LCX disease (narrowings > 50%). Sensitivity increased with the severity of stenosis but even for 100% occlusions was only 87% for LAD, 58% for RCA and 38% for LCX. Sensitivity diminished as the number of vessels involved increased: with single-vessel disease, 80% of LAD, 54% of RCA and 33% of LCX lesions were detected but in patients with triple-vessel disease only 50% of LAD, 50% of RCA and 16% of LCX lesions were identified. Although segmental analysis of MSI can identify disease in the individual coronary arteries with high specificity only moderate sensitivity is achieved, reflecting the tendency of MSI to identify only the most severely ischemic area among several that may be present in a heart. Perfusion scintigrams display relative distributions rather than absolute values for myocardial blood flow.This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
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