Exercise thallium scintigraphy in aortitis syndrome (Takayasu's arteritis)

It is important for patient management to evaluate coronary arterial involvement in aortitis syndrome. Twenty one cases of aortitis syndrome who experienced chest pain were examined using exercise thallium scintigraphy. The patients were divided into four groups according to the angiographic findings. There were: five patients with left main coronary arterial involvement (group A), four with left or right coronary arterial involvement (group B), nine with aortic regurgitation (group C), and three with pulmonary arterial involvement (group D). In group A and B, all patients had positive ECGs and thallium perfusion defects. Group A patients showed extensive anterolateral perfusion defects, which were compatible with left main coronary arterial involvement. Group C and D patients, who had normal coronary arteries, showed no remarkable perfusion defects although five had positive ECG findings. Thus, the sensitivity and specificity of exercise scintigraphy for detection of myocardial ischemia were 9/9 and 12/12, while those of stress ECG were 9/9 and 7/12 (58%), respectively. It is recommended that exercise thallium scintigraphy be used for detecting clinically occult but significant coronary arterial involvement in aortitis syndrome with chest pain.