Imaging Considerations for a Technetium-99m Myocardial Perfusion Agent

Abstract

Myocardial perfusion imaging with ²⁰¹ Tl chloride suffers from a number of physical, geometric, and dosimetric constraints that could be diminished if an agent labeled with ^99mTc were available. The cationic complex ^99mTc hexakis-(t-butylisonitrile)technetium(I) ([^99mTc]TBI) has been shown to concentrate in the myocardial tissue of both animals and humans, with preliminary clinical studies demonstrating a number of technical attributes not possible with ²⁰¹ Tl. Technetium-99m-TBI is a promising myocardial imaging agent that may permit high quality planar, gated, and tomographic imaging of both myocardial ischemia and infarction with reduced imaging times and improved resolution.