[Clinical variables that can cause the underestimation of the viable myocardium in the infarcted area: results of the sequential exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy].
Clinical variables that can cause the underestimation of the viable myocardium were examined in the sequential exercise thallium-201 study before and after PTCA. Among 60 patients who had documented myocardial infarction with single coronary artery disease, 43 patients had successful PTCA. Compared to the initial images after PTCA, the 4 hour-delayed images before PTCA had larger and more severe defect in the infarcted area of 14 patients (33%). This underestimated group had shorter period from the infarction to the stress study. (3.4 +/- 2.4 M vs. 7.1 +/- 9.2 M; p less than 0.05), and attained more maximal heart rate during the stress study. The numbers of the patients who had severe stenosis (greater than or equal to 99%) were more in the underestimated group (79% vs. 34%; p less than 0.01). The patients who have recent myocardial infarction, especially within three months, are likely to be underestimated their viable myocardium in the infarcted area, and this variable is dependent from their workload during the stress study and the severity of the stenotic lesion which also affect the estimation of the myocardial viability.