Thrombolysis in XXXX using intracoronary streptokinase: assessment by thallium-201 scintigraphy.

@entity1 @entity583
Twenty-one @entity1 with @entity583 , admitted to the hospital within 4 hours after the onset of symptoms, were studied by seven-pinhole thallium-201 scintigraphy before and 1 hour and 24 hours after intracoronary fibrinolysis using streptokinase. The size of the thallium-201 perfusion defect was assessed from myocardial cross sections reconstructed from the original seven-pinhole data and expressed as a fraction of left ventricular circumference. Recanalization was achieved in 16 @entity1 within 3.9 +/- 1.6 hours after onset of symptoms (group A). In these @entity1 , the size of the perfusion defect had decreased from 36 +/- 17% to 19% +/- 15% (p less than 0.001) at 24 hours. No significant change was detected by redistribution at 1 hour after the intervention. In five @entity1 , intracoronary fibrinolysis was unsuccessful, and the vessel remained occluded (group B). The thallium-201 perfusion defect affected 40 +/- 15% of the left ventricular circumference before the intervention; it remained virtually unchanged at 1 hour (37 +/- 16%) and at 24 hours (41 +/- 15%) after fibrinolysis. The perfusion defect was most reduced in @entity1 with extensive collaterals supplying the ischemic area or with subtotal occlusion of the affected coronary artery. We conclude that successful intracoronary fibrinolysis may reduce the size of the thallium-201 perfusion defect in many @entity1 with @entity583 . One important factor in the final result may be the presence of residual coronary flow supplied by extensive collaterals or by subtotal occlusion of the affected coronary artery when reperfusion is achieved around 4 hours after the onset of symptoms.
