Thallium scintigraphy in prediction of occlusion of bypass grafts in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.

To evaluate thallium scintigraphy in predicting coronary artery bypass graft patency, exercise thallium scintigraphy and selective graft and native vessel angiograms were performed in 22 asymptomatic and 29 symptomatic consecutive patients three months after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Twelve out of 22 asymptomatic patients (55%) had reversible thallium defects on postoperative images; in 10 patients the postoperative scans were normal. The graft patency was significantly lower in asymptomatic patients with abnormal thallium perfusion compared to those with normal perfusion after CABG (68% vs. 91%, p less than 0.05). The rate of graft patency in symptomatic patients was 66/87 (76%). Thallium scintigraphy was 77% sensitive and 78% specific in detecting one or more stenosed or occluded bypass grafts in patients without angina (accuracy 77%). When data from exercise electrocardiography were combined with scintigraphy, all but one patient with incomplete revascularization could be detected (positive predictive accuracy 92%). In symptomatic patients, thallium scintigraphy accurately predicted the presence or absence of graft occlusion in 24/29 (83%) cases. Thus, abnormal myocardial perfusion due to stenosis or occlusion of bypass grafts is common in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients after CABG. Thallium scintigraphy together with exercise electrocardiography appear to be useful non-invasive methods in detecting painless myocardial ischemia and in predicting bypass graft occlusion after CABG.