[Myocardial tomoscintigraphy with 201Tl in the diagnosis of cardiac involvement in systemic scleroderma]

Myocardial microcirculation was assessed in 23 scleroderma systematica patients using 201Tl tomoscintigraphy at rest (23 patients) and upon dipyridamole vasodilation (6 patients). Most patients were found to have impaired blood supply of the myocardium with sites of myocardiofibrosis. In response to dipyridamole introduction improved myocardial perfusion was registered in 4 out of 6 patients, 1 patient showed signs of transient myocardial ischemia, 1 patient had stable defects of myocardial blood supply. It is suggested that some sclerodermic patients may benefit from vasodilators.