Clinical significance of reverse redistribution on thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

To determine the clinical significance of reverse redistribution (RR), resting thallium-201 myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography was performed once or twice in 80 patients in subacute phase (1 week to 2 months) of myocardial infarction. Thirty eight patients demonstrated RR on at least one study (group RR) and 32 a fixed defect only (group FD). Group RR had significantly smaller defects than group FD. Standardizing the relation of the severity of wall motion abnormality of left ventricle on echocardiogram with that of perfusion defect, in group RR wall motion abnormality in the acute and subacute phase reflected the defect of delayed image, while that in chronic phase, which was thought to reflect the viability of myocardium in the infarct region, reflected the defect of initial image. In serial thallium-201 studies, only the defect of delayed image of group RR improved on the second study, while the defect of initial image of group RR and defect of group FD did not improve. Wall motion of group RR improved with the disappearance of RR, and when RR remained, wall motion did not improve so much. We concluded that RR was thought to be demonstrated in viable myocardium with severe wall motion abnormality.