Abstract

The effect on myocardial perfusion distribution of intracoronary glyceryl trinitrate in a dose (60 micrograms) insufficient to cause alterations in systemic blood pressure or heart rate was studied in eight patients with angiographically demonstrated collaterals from the left coronary system to the distal right coronary artery. Double isotope imaging using technetium-99m and iodine-131 labelled albumin macroaggregates allowed each patient to serve as his own control. The reproducibility of the imaging and data handling techniques was shown in 12 control patients. Glyceryl trinitrate caused a significant diminution in the collateral-mediated fractional perfusion while increasing that of the native coronary bed.