Clinical nuclear imaging techniques for the diagnosis and evaluation of acute myocardial infarction

The use of nuclear imaging techniques allows the accurate detection of myocardial infarction, determination of the impact of infarction on ventricular performance, assessment of the myocardial salvage with thrombolysis, identification of preserved regional metabolism in jeopardized myocardial segments, and the elucidation of inducible reversible ischemia requiring aggressive therapeutic intervention. Assessment of myocardial salvage after thrombolysis or revascularization can be accomplished with serial perfusion imaging. Infarct-avid imaging with Tc-99m-PYP can be used to rapidly determine the size and location of the acute transmural myocardial infarction. In the future, however, the improved image quality and diagnostic accuracy of immunoscintigraphy with antimyosin antibodies may supplant PYP imaging. Studies of global ventricular function can be performed at rest, or with multiple interventions using portable scintigraphic devices. The measurement of the dynamic response of left ventricular ejection fraction over time shows promise for risk stratification. As yet, there has been no comprehensive comparison of the relative predictive value of metabolic imaging parameters, perfusion/antibody uptake mismatch, Tl-201 redistribution, or ejection fraction response data. Such a comparison could optimize the diagnostic algorithm for post-infarction damage assessment and risk stratification.