Optimal specificity of thallium-201 SPECT through recognition of imaging artifacts.

Artifacts are produced in 201TI cardiac single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging because of a variety of causes including soft-tissue attenuation, overlying abdominal viscera, variable myocardial thickness, left bundle branch block, cardiac rotation, patient motion, and technical errors. Careful attention to quality control, utilization of motion detectors, and familiarization with potential artifacts will improve the specificity and diagnostic accuracy of 201TI SPECT for coronary artery disease.