Prognostic value of Tl-201 stress scintigraphy in patients with inferior myocardial infarction

The results demonstrate that 201Tl imaging is superior to stress ECG in predicting additional reversible ischemia in patients with previous inferior myocardial infarction. The predictive accuracy for involvement of the LAD was significantly higher (71% vs 44%) than stress ECG. The predictive accuracy for involvement of the circumflex artery was very low (25%). An additional advantage is the high specificity of 201Tl imaging. In some patients abnormal ST-depressions in the anterior chest leads of the stress ECG can reflect collateral circulation to the occluded right coronary artery and not LAD diseases. These results emphasize the prognostic implications of Tl imaging in patients with previous inferior myocardial infarction