Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and regional wall motion abnormalities were determined in 40 patients (30 with coronary artery disease and 10 with valvular heart disease) using equilibrium radionuclide angiography. Scintigraphic acquisitions were collected in random order with 2 different collimators as follows: in anterior face (AF), left anterior oblique (25 degrees-45 degrees LAO) and 70 degrees LAO, with a vertical parallel hole collimator (VTC), and in 25 degrees-45 degrees LAO and 65 degrees-80 degrees LAO with a 30 degrees rotating slant hole collimator (RSHC), with the slant of the collimator directed towards the cardiac apex in both projections. Results were compared to contrast ventriculography (CV) performed in the 30 degrees right anterior view (3 segments: anterior, apical, inferior) and in a 60 degrees left anterior oblique view (3 segments: septal, apical and lateral). Radionuclide LVEF in both series was closely correlated with contrast ventriculographic LVEF (r = 0.89, VTC vs CV and r = 0.87, RSHC vs CV, respectively). Regional wall motion analysis was only performed among the 30 patients suffering from coronary heart disease. Eight contrast angiographic studies were normal and 22 abnormal. Global sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 63% with the VTC (3 false positives) and 91% and 87% with the 30 degrees RSHC (2 false negatives and 1 false positive, P = ns). Agreement for the localisation of the regional wall motion abnormalities between CV and radionuclide angiography was 70.6% with the VTC and 71.2% with the RSHC (P = ns).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)