Exercise whole-body thallium scintigraphy in the diagnosis and evaluation of occlusive arterial disease in the legs.

Whole-body thallium scintigraphy can be used to diagnose and evaluate occlusive arterial disease in patients with leg claudication. We performed exercise and redistribution scans in 36 healthy individuals and 17 patients with claudication. Regions of interest were drawn around the whole body, as well as each buttock, thigh, and calf. Counts in each region were expressed as a percentage of whole-body activity, as well as an interextremity activity ratio for each level. Significant differences due to gender and age were found. The sensitivity and specificity of the test in men was 94% and 71%, respectively, using the criterion of percentage regional uptake and 81% and 90%, respectively, using interextremity comparison. We conclude that exercise whole-body thallium imaging is a simple and accurate test for the evaluation of suspected occlusive arterial disease in the legs.