Clearance of radioactive xenon in evaluating microcirculation in patients with ischaemic heart disease

In 158 patients with chronic ischaemic heart disease (IHD), the state of microcirculation was investigated, using local 133Xe clearance. With growing severity of the disease, muscular blood flow decreased. Local disturbances were accompanied also by changes in central haemodynamics (decrease in cardiac index, slow-down of blood flow in the pulmonary and systemic circulations, increased peripheral resistance), which were established by radiocardiography using 131I-labelled albumin. A distinct relationship was found between muscular blood flow and the intensity of intravascular microcirculatory disturbances (microthrombosis, intravascular thrombocyte aggregation, arteriolo-venular anastomoses). The authors recommend the use of 133Xe clearance for microcirculation study in patients with chronic IHD.