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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Myocardial viability: nuclear assessment
Deval Mehta1, Ami E Iskandrian
1The Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
Insights
Identifying viable myocardium is crucial for congestive heart failure (CHF) patients undergoing revascularization. Radionuclide imaging helps assess myocardial viability, potentially improving outcomes and reducing mortality in these high-risk patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects 5 million US patients, with high 5-year mortality (70%).
- Revascularization may improve outcomes in CHF patients with viable myocardium.
- Identifying myocardial viability is key to selecting appropriate candidates for revascularization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of radionuclide imaging in assessing myocardial viability for CHF patients.
- To highlight the importance of identifying viable myocardium for treatment decisions.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies utilizing radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging.
- Evaluation of radionuclide tracers for assessing myocardial function and viability.
- Analysis of noninvasive imaging techniques in CHF patient assessment.
Main Results:
- Viable myocardium presence accurately predicts improvement after revascularization.
- Radionuclide imaging is extensively used for detecting myocardial viability.
- Assessment of myocardial perfusion and function aids in treatment selection.
Conclusions:
- Radionuclide imaging is essential for identifying viable myocardium in CHF patients.
- Accurate assessment of myocardial viability guides revascularization decisions.
- Improved patient selection through viability imaging can enhance outcomes in CHF.
Abstract:
There are an estimated 5 million patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in the United States. The long-term outcome in these patients is poor with a 5-year mortality of 70%. There is evidence suggesting that revascularization in patients with viable myocardium can result in reduced event rate in these patients. The presence of viable myocardium best identifies patients who will improve with revascularization. Noninvasive imaging with radionuclide tracers has been used extensively to identify the presence and extent of viable myocardium. We have summarized the role of radionuclide myocardial perfusion and function evaluation in assessment of viable myocardium in this review.
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