"Hot spot" myocardial scanning: experiences with a mobile nuclear camera in a coronary care unit

Twenty-nine patients with suspected or actual myocardial infarction have had myocardial "hot spot" scans with technietium 99m pyrophosphate, using a mobile nuclear camera in a coronary care unit. Nine patients with transmural infarcts had positive scans. Nine out of 12 patients thought to have had endocardial infarction had positive scans. Two patients who had had intramuscular injections presented with chest pain and abnormally high serum enzyme levels, but had negative scans. Myocardial radionuclide scanning with a mobile nuclear camera is a rapid, easy, repeatable, non-invasive method of helping to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of myocardial infarction and, used together with other available tests, is a valuable additional diagnostic aid.