[Usefulness of 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy after dipyridamole infusion in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease].

To determine the utility for detecting ischemic heart disease (IHD), Dipyridamole thallium myocardial images (DIP-Tl) have been performed in the 103 patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who can't exercise fully. Of 103 patients, there were 36 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), 31 patients with aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AAA), 24 patients with aneurysm of the thoracic aorta (TAA) and 12 patients with dissecting aortic aneurysm (DAA). Clinical evidence of IHD was found in 20 patients with ASO, 10 with AAA, 7 with TAA and 4 with DAA respectively. Positive evidence of DIP-Tl was identified in 66% of 41 patients who had clinical evidence of IHD, and particularly in the patients with AAA (80%) and ASO (65%). On the other hand, in the patients without clinical evidence of IHD, positive evidence of DIP-Tl was identified in 19% of 62 patients and particularly in the patients with AAA (39%). In all patients, the percentage of the positive DIP-Tl ratio was 38%. And, when the 38% patients of the positive DIP-Tl were added to the patients of the negative DIP-Tl who had clinical evidence of IHD, almost half patients (51%) were considered to be complicated with IHD. This study suggests that the atherosclerotic vascular disease is highly complicated with IHD and DIP-Tl is useful to detect IHD.