The usefulness of radionuclide ventriculography for the identification and assessment of patients with coronary heart disease.

To assess the usefulness of radionuclide angiography for the identification and evaluation of patients with coronary heart disease, we analyzed 100 consecutive patients who had undergone that examination and coronary arteriography. Regional wall motion abnormality during exercise was detected in 65 of 76 (86%) patients with occlusive coronary disease and in one of 11 (9%) with normal coronary arteries and normal left ventriculograms. The changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction in response to exercise were not helpful for the identification of individual patients with coronary disease, since changes were often small and within the error of the technique. Substantial decline of the ejection fraction during exercise indicated multivessel disease or severe proximal left anterior descending artery occlusion.