Dipyridamole-thallium imaging: the lazy man's stress test

Dipyridamole-thallium imaging is a relatively safe and accurate method to evaluate myocardial perfusion and "stress." It is independent of patient motivation, exercise capacity and antianginal medications. Overall it detects coronary artery disease as well as exercise thallium and has already shown utility in prognostic determinations. The continued use of this test on a wide scale appears warranted and additional large scale experience needs to be critically evaluated.