Use of Dual Isotope Platelet Scintigraphy for Monitoring Antiplatelet Therapy in Stroke Patients

Abstract

The increase of therapeutic possibilities for the management of patients with thromboembolic complications, as e. eg. by fibrinolytic treatment or vascular surgery or the use of new antiplatelet drugs, necessitate further information as to the extent, age and activity of the thromboembolic material causing clinical symptoms. Many aspects concerning the clinical use of antiplatelet drugs in stroke patients are as yet unsolved. It is for instance not yet proven whether in vitro investigations can be compared with the in vivo action of drugs (5). The ongoing discussion on the amount of aspirin proper for an optimal prevention of stroke highlights this problem (3, 22). Since the introduction of the scintigraphic in vivo detection of arterial thrombi with radiolabelled platelets platelet scintigraphy (PSC) has been used as a diagnostic tool in various thromboembolic diseases (15). It has a very high specifity in diagnosing deep venous thrombosis (10) and has been used in imaging pulmonary emboli (17) as well as cardiac thrombi (8). PSC was further successful in imaging atherosclerotic lesions in the peripheral arteries (1) as well as in the coronary (7) and in the carotid arteries.