Thallium tomography in the detection of myocardial perfusion defects

Tomographic 201-Tl scintigrams (SPECT) were compared with conventional planar images (PLAN) in 100 consecutive patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Agreement was obtained in 78/100 and disagreement in 7/100. In 15 patients the results were equivocal. The sensitivity of PLAN and SPECT was studied in 35 patients with IHD and angina pectoris who were also examined with coronary angiography. SPECT had a sensitivity of 88 per cent compared with 84 per cent for PLAN. SPECT was better in matching perfusion defects to coronary stenoses in this small patient group.