CAN THE EXTENT OF CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE BE PREDICTED FROM TL-201 MYOCARDIAL IMAGES

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (7) , 715-719
Abstract
The accuracy with which the extent of coronary artery disease can be predicted from stress 201Tl myocardial images was assessed in 81 patients with chest pain. Whereas the appearance of the myocardial image was both a sensitive means of detecting coronary artery disease (images abnormal in 43 of 47 patients with abnormal coronary arteriograms) and specific in excluding it (images normal in 31 of 34 patients with normal arteriograms), there was poor correlation between the extent of disease predicted from the 201Tl images and arteriography. Although stress 201Tl myocardial imaging is a useful method for the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease, it cannot be relied upon to predict the number of abnormal vessels.