[The usefulness of thallium-201 scintigraphy in the diagnosis of coronary disease].
Stress thallium scintigraphy was performed in 60 patients with chest pain of uncertain origin. Myocardial ischemia was identified in 91% of the 47 patients who had angiographically significant coronary artery stenoses. Sensitivity of thallium scintigraphy was highest in patients with stenosis in the left descending coronary artery (LAD); 91% of the patients had abnormal thallium as compared with 67% of the patients with normal LAD but significant stenoses in the circumflex artery and/or the right coronary artery. Perfusion defects in the circumflex in only 50% of the patients with multiple vessel disease. We conclude that stress thallium scintigraphy is a useful diagnostic procedure in patients with chest pain of uncertain origin and identifies the patients to be selected for coronary artery angiography.