[Lung thallium uptake for non-invasive assessment of increased pulmonary pressure in mitral valve stenosis].

30 patients (24 females, 5 males) with angiographically proven mitral stenosis as well as 10 healthy controls were investigated by wedge catheterism and thallium-201-scintigraphy to calculate the heart-lung quotient (HLQ) of the isotope. All patients with mitral stenosis could be discriminated from controls by a pathological increase of isotope concentration in the lungs. 4 groups could be subdivided: the 1st group consisted of 21% of the patients with normal pulmonary artery pressure of x = 13.06 mm Hg and a normal HLQ less than 1.1. The 2nd group of 39% of the patients showed passive pulmonary hypertension with a PAm of x = 27.57 mm Hg and HLQ between 1.1 and 1.4 A 3rd group showed PAm of 36.76 mm Hg with reactive pulmonary hypertension and a HLQ between 1.4 and 1.6. The last group showed pulmonary hypertension of x = 45 mm Hg PAm and a HLQ of greater than 1.6. Scintigraphy alone allowed classification of the patients, so the value of this method is proven for pre- and postoperative strategy.