| abstract |
The imaging of cardiac infarcts with complexed radioactive metals is improved by employing as the complexing agent a compound of the formula <IMAGE> wherein substituents A, B, X and Y are each independently selected from radicals including hydrogen, hydroxyalkyl (wherein the alkyl group contains 2-6 carbon atoms), methylenephosphonic, methylene-, ethylene-, and propylenesulfonic, carboxylic acid radicals (having 2-4 carbon atoms) and the alkali or alkaline earth metal, ammonia and amine salts thereof and wherein at least one A, B, X and Y is methylenephosphonic acid or a salt thereof. In particular Tc-99m complexes have been found useful for imaging damaged cardiac tissue. |