Scintigraphic anatomy of coronary artery disease in digital thallium-201 myocardial images

One hundred and eight patients with single and multiple vessel coronary artery disease confirmed by arteriography were evaluated by exercise thallium-201 (201Tl) myocardial scintigraphy to determine the scintigraphic appearances of specific coronary stenoses. In general proximal stenoses caused more widespread, but not necessarily more severe, myocardial tracer deficit, than distal stenoses. In particular, proximal dominant right coronary artery disease was specifically associated with extensive inferior wall tracer deficit in the anterior scintigram, whereas proximal left circumflex disease caused similar tracer depletion best visualised in the left lateral scintigram. A triad of uptake defects was caused by left anterior descending coronary artery disease; one of these defects called 'diagonal window tracer deficit' was the most useful scintigraphic sign distinguishing proximal from distal disease in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Certain scintigraphic patterns of 201Tl myocardial accumulation appear invaluable in the noninvasive localisation of stenoses within specific coronary arteries and thus may be useful in predicting life-threatening coronary artery disease which should be confirmed by definitive coronary arteriography. The digital 201Tl myocardial scintigram also provides an independent functional guide to the interpretation of coronary arteriograms and may be helpful in the planning of aortocoronary bypass graft surgery. (author)