Comparison of dipyridamole-echocardiography with dipyridamole-thallium scintigraphy for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia.

Abstract

After an intravenous infusion of dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg), we performed both echocardiography and thallium scintigraphy in 63 patients who were referred for known or suspected coronary artery disease. Of those patients, 25 returned for coronary arteriography within 1 month after the tests, thus forming the study group for this report. Sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease, when analyzed region-by-region, was 80% for thallium scintigraphy and 57% for echocardiography, whereas specificity was 85% and 98%, respectively. When evaluating individual patients for the presence or absence of ischemia, we found a sensitivity of 95% for scintigraphy and 58% for echocardiography; corresponding specificities were 50% and 100%. By using arteriography as the gold standard for comparison, it appears that thallium scintigraphy has a significantly higher sensitivity but lower specificity for the detection of coronary artery disease than does echocardiography. Echocardiography may, however, be a useful adjunct to thallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease.

• Authors: E C Perin, W Moore, M Blume, G Hernandez, R Dhekne, C M DeCastro
• Journal: Clinical nuclear medicine (Clin Nucl Med) Vol. 16 Issue 6 Pg. 417-20 (Jun 1991) ISSN: 0363-9762 [Print] United States
• PMID: 1868654 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Thallium Radioisotopes
• Dipyridamole

Topics

• Coronary Disease (diagnosis)
• Dipyridamole
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiography
• Evaluation Studies as Topic
• Exercise Test
• Female
• Heart (diagnostic imaging)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Radionuclide Imaging
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Thallium Radioisotopes