Myocardial viability in cases with persistent perfusion defects on the dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigram. A comparative study with autopsy findings.

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of myocardial infarction among persistent perfusion defects in dipyridamole-stress thallium scintigraphy by inspecting autopsied hearts and to evaluate whether the regional thallium activity of a scintigraphic defect can predict the presence of infarction. Autopsied hearts were compared with dipyridamole myocardial scintigrams undertaken during life in 27 patients (mean age 85 +/- 8 years). The time interval from stress testing until death was 428 +/- 351 days. Regional thallium uptake of delayed perfusion defect was calculated on the short axis images. The grade of regional myocardial fibrosis in autopsy specimens was also quantified to correlate with the corresponding regional thallium uptake. In 6 of 15 (40%) regions with persistent defects on the scintigram, myocardial infarction was not found at autopsy. Regional thallium-201 uptake of delayed defects < 50% diagnosed infarction with a sensitivity of 82% and a specificity of 80%. A linear correlation (r = -0.67) was observed between percent thallium-201 uptake and the degree of myocardial fibrosis. In conclusion, perfusion defects at 4-hour imaging in dipyridamole-stress testing may overestimate the presence of myocardial infarction and regional thallium-201 activity is helpful in distinguishing between defects with and without infarction.