Myocardial imaging with indium- 113m- and technetium-99m-macroaggregated albumin. New procedure for identification of stress-induced regional ischemia.

Regional coronary blood flow distribution was studied by myocardial imaging after intracoronary injection of technetium-99m- and indium-113m-macroaggregated albumin at rest and during coronary hyperemia induced by intracoronary injection of Hypaque-M, 75 percent. The four- to five-fold increase in coronary flow after injection of radiographic contrast material was similar in magnitude to that occurring with maximal exercise stress. Experimentally, resting coronary blood flow and regional distribution of radioactive particles remains normal in spite of coronary stenosis of up to 85 percent. Less severe stenosis causes flow and distribution abnormalities only during periods of increased flow, and the degree of maldistribution is directly related to the physiologic severity of the stenosis. Of 49 patients with suspected coronary artery disease, 10 had no significant lesions by coronary arteriography and all had normal images at rest and during coronary hyperemia. Thirty-seven of 39 patients with significant obstructive coronary artery disease had abnormal images at rest or during contrast agent-induced hyperemia, or both. Patients with significant coronary artery disease without previous infarction usually demonstrated abnormalities in flow distribution only during coronary hyperemia. Patients with previous infarction demonstrated resting perfusion abnormalities that often became more abnormal during hyperemia. This technique provides a new method for assessing the physiologic effects of coronary stenosis in conjuntion with coronary arteriography.