Clinical application of rest thallium-201/Stress technetium-99m sestamibi dual isotope myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography.

Stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging is a commonly used modality to evaluate patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. The dual isotope rest thallium-201/stress technetium-99m sestamibi gated single-photon emission computed tomography protocol has gained increasing popularity for these applications. By combining the use of thallium-201, the optimal radioisotope for assessment of viability, with technetium-99m, a radionuclide agent that permits optimal image resolution and simultaneous assessment of viability information, maximization of clinical information can be achieved. Recent publications have demonstrated the efficacy of this imaging approach for both the identification of the presence of coronary artery disease and risk stratification.