PULMONARY THALLIUM UPTAKE - CORRELATION WITH SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC LEFT-VENTRICULAR FUNCTION AT REST AND DURING EXERCISE

Quantified pulmonary 201-thallium uptake, assessed as pulmonary/myocardial ratios (PM) and body surface area-corrected absolute pulmonary uptake (Pc), was determined from single photon emission computed tomography studies in 22 normal subjects and 46 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). By means of equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA), ejection fraction (EF), peak ejection rate (PER) in end-diastolic volume (EDV/ sec) and peak filling rate (PFR) in EDV/ sec and strokevolume (SV/sec) units, PFR/PER ratio, and time to peak filling rate (TPFR) in milliseconds were computed at rest and during exercise (n=35). Left ventricular response to exercise was assessed as ΔEF, relative EF, ΔEDV, and ΔESV. In normal subjects the PM ratios showed significant inverse correlation with PER at rest and with EF, PER, and PFRedv during exercise. For the left ventricular response to exercise, ΔESV showed significant correlation with the PM ratios. The body surface area-corrected pulmonary uptake values showed no correlation with any of the variables. In patients with CAD the PM ratios and Pc uptake showed significant inverse correlation with EF, PER, PFRedv and to exercise EF, exercise PER, and exercise PFRedv. For the left ventricular response to exercise, ΔEF showed significant inverse correlation with the PM ratios but not with the Pc uptake. Neither in normal subjects nor with the PM ratios or Pc values. Thus pulmonary thallium uptake is correlated with systolic left ventricular function at rest and during exercise in normal subjects and in patients with CAD but not with diastolic function. In normal subjects ΔESV and in patients with CAD, ΔEF showed correlation with pulmonary thallium uptake. © 1990.