Stress Test with Thallium

Hi,

Last Thursday I had a stress test with thallium.  The reason this test was performed was because I had three episodes of chest pain with exertion the previous week.  After 3 minutes on the tread mill the test was stopped because I was having severe pain in my legs.  When my heart rate reached 112 bpm they injected the thalium.  Thirty seconds later the test was stopped.  I felt that I could have continued with the test if my legs did not hurt so bad.  On Saturday I got the results.  The cardiologist stated that a small portion of my heart next to the area that died due to a previous heart attack was not getting enough blood, but at this time it was insignificant and was unlikely to be the cause of the pain I experienced.  My question is, that if I really never exerted my heart fully, can they accuratly determine that this was the only problem area or do you think the test should be reperformed using a medication to exert my heart instead of the treadmill.

I appreciate your time in answering my questilon.

Many thanks.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Since you probably don't typically exert yourself any more than what you did on the treadmill due to your leg problems, I would say that the test was most likely diagnositic.  Meaning, that the area of peri-infarct ischemia is all that's there.  Technically speaking, however, in order to be more certain, an adenosine test should be performed.  I would recommend that in you because you began having new symptoms.  If nothing else comes up, I would recommend increasing you beta blocker and nitrate therapy.  If something does come up, other than the peri-infarct ischemia already noted, then I would say that you need a catheterization.