[Detection of myocardial viability by delayed imaging after 201Tl reinjection].

Recent studies have demonstrated that some underestimation of myocardial viability remained to be not resolved even using reinjection method. So we devised a new technique of reinjection and reimaging, and using this we studied the detectability of myocardial viability in 32 patients of CAD. Exercise imaging (EX) was acquired after initial injection of thallium (111 MBq). Three hours after EX, the second dose thallium (37 MBq) was reinjected, and then the first reinjection image (Re1) was performed. Furthermore, the second reinjection image (Re2) was obtained at 3 hours after the second dose reinjection. SPECT images were divided in basal, mid and apical parts, and totally 13 segments were analyzed by visual scoring (0: severe, 1:moderate, 2:mild hypoperfusion and 3:normal). Twenty-seven (13.4%) of 202 segments of low score (0 to 2) shown in EX were improved in Re2, compared with Re1. Twenty-one (42.0%) of 50 segments of score 0 or 1 shown in Re1 were improved in Re2. These results showed that our devised new method of reimaging 3 hours after the second dose injection was useful to improve in detectability of myocardial viability.