Pharmacologic coronary vasodilation as an adjunct to myocardial perfusion imaging has become increasingly important in the evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease, in view of the large number of patients who cannot perform an adequate exercise test or in whom contraindications render exercise inappropriate. Adenosine is a very potent coronary vasodilator and when combined with thallium 201 scintigraphy produces images of high quality, with the added advantages of a very short half-life (less than 10 seconds) and the ability to adjust the dose during the infusion, which may enhance safety and curtail the duration of side effects. The reported sensitivity and specificity of adenosine thallium 201 scintigraphy for the detection of coronary artery disease are high and at least comparable with imaging after exercise or dipyridamole administration.