NON-INVASIVE DETECTION OF CORONARY THROMBI WITH IN-111 PLATELETS - CONCISE COMMUNICATION

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (2) , 130-135
Abstract
The need for rapid, definitive identification of coronary thrombosis has been intensified by the advent of thrombolytic therapy and by interest in the role of thrombosis in the etiology of coronary artery disease. To determine whether platelet thrombi can be detected noninvasively with 111In-platelets, a method was developed in which 99mTc-tagged red blood cells [RBC] were used to correct for activity within the blood attributable to platelets circulating but not associated with thrombus. In 18 dogs coronary thrombi were induced in closed-chest with a Cu coil introduced into the coronary artery. 111In-platelets and 99mTc RBC were administered either before or 1 h after induction of thrombus and serial scintigrams were obtained. Coronary thrombus was identified readily in the processed scintigrams. In 6 dogs, thrombolysis was achieved with intracoronary streptokinase. In each case serial scintigraphy demonstrated resolution of the clot. The dual radiotracer technique should permit serial nonivasive delineation of the temporal relationship between platelet deposition and coronary heart disease in patients and should facilitate the evaluation of interventions designed to prevent platelet aggregation or to lyze existing thrombi.