Thallium-201 imaging in assessment of aortocoronary artery bypass graft patency.

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Abstract
Patients [15] with significant coronary artery disease confirmed by cardiac catheterization were studied before and after aortocoronary artery bypass graft surgery by rest and exercise 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy to predict graft status non-invasively. Segmental myocardial perfusion comparisons in pre- and postoperative exercise images allowed correct predictions of high (.gtoreq. 67%) or low (.ltoreq. 50%) graft patency rates in 10 of 15 patients; similar comparisons in postoperative rest and exercise images yielded 13 of 15 correct predictions. Of 21 myocardial segments with increased postoperative perfusion when compared with corresponding segments in preoperative exercise studies, 20 were supplied by patent grafts. Regional graft occlusion was difficult to predict. It was difficult to predict graft status when myocardial segments had unchanged perfusion postoperatively compared to the preoperative segmental assessment. Despite these limitations, the non-invasive technique of 201Tl imaging can provide useful information regarding coronary artery bypass graft patency.