Myocardial viability in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Comparison of 99mTc-sestamibi with thallium reinjection and 18Ffluorodeoxyglucose.

These data indicate that same-day rest/stress sestamibi imaging will incorrectly identify 36% of myocardial regions as being irreversibly impaired and nonviable compared with both thallium redistribution/reinjection and PET. However, the identification of reversible and viable myocardium can be greatly enhanced with sestamibi if an additional redistribution image is acquired after the rest sestamibi injection or if the severity of reduction in sestamibi activity within irreversible defects is considered.