Abstract
A method of myocardial perfusion imaging using /sup 201/Tl is described. Thallium is able to substitute for potassium in biological systems including transport by the sodium--potassium ATP-ase system. The high extraction efficiency of the heart for /sup 201/Tl offers a method whereby a tracer may be administered intravenously and is concentrated to a significant degree by the heart. However, only about 3 to 4 percent of the dose administered lodges in the myocardium. Experiments with dogs indicated that the regional distribution of Tl in the heart reflects the regional distribution of blood flow. The goal is to develop a procedure that can detect those patients with significant disease prior to the onset of a catastrophic event and studies are being undertaken to improve the sensitivity of the method for the detection of smaller lesions in the myocardium. (HLW)
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