Isoproterenol stress thallium scintigraphy for detecting coronary artery disease

The present study was undertaken to assess the diagnostic value of isoproterenol (ISP) thallium scintigraphy. The findings were compared with those of ISP-ECG and exercise thallium scintigraphy. The study population consisted of 24 patients who had a history of chest pain without previous myocardial infarction. ISP was given at increasing doses of 0.02, 0.04, 0.08 μg/mg/min at 3-minutes intervals, and was terminated for any of the following reasons: angina, significant arrhythmia, significant ST segment depression, or target heart rate. Thallium scintigrams were obtained immediately after terminating ISP infusion, and after a 3-hour delay, redistribution scans were obtained. Scintigrams were considered positive when a reversible defect was present. After stress tests, coronary angiography was performed. According to the presence or absence of significant coronary artery stenosis, the patients were divided into coronary artery disease (CAD) group (n=12) and so-called normal coronary (NC) group (n=12). Among 12 patients in the CAD group, ISP induced anginal pain in six (50%), and ISP-ECT and ISP thallium scintigraphy were positive in 10 (83%) and in 11 (92%), compared with four(33%), four(33%) and two (17%) in the NC group. These data indicate that ISP-ECG had a sensitivity of 83%, a specificity of 67%, and a diagnostic accuracy of 75%; and the corresponding figures for ISP thallium scintigraphy were 92%, 83%, and 88%. Among nine patients who underwent both ISP thallium scintgraphy and exercise thallium scintigraphy, all patients, except for one false negative case on ISP thallium scintigraphy, were correctly diagnosed. No serious complications occurred in association with the ISP infusion test. ISP thallium scintigraphy was considered to be a safe, sensitive, and specific method for diagnosing CAD when exercise tests were intolerable. (N.K.)