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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Coronary artery disease. The other half of the heaven
1PET Center, Nuclear Medicine Unit, S. Giacomo Apostolo Hospital, Via Ospedale 18, Castelfranco Veneto (TV), Italy. elisamilan@iol.it
Insights
Coronary artery disease (CAD) affects men and women differently. Myocardial perfusion imaging effectively detects CAD in women, matching diagnostic accuracy in men.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death globally.
- Significant sex-based differences exist in CAD presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.
- CAD is diagnosed less frequently and treated less aggressively in women compared to men.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of scintigraphic myocardial perfusion imaging in diagnosing CAD in women.
- To compare the diagnostic performance of myocardial perfusion imaging in women versus men.
Main Methods:
- Utilized technetium-99m perfusion agents for myocardial perfusion imaging.
- Employed gated single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with attenuation correction.
- Assessed sensitivity and specificity for CAD detection.
Main Results:
- Myocardial perfusion imaging in women demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for CAD detection.
- Diagnostic accuracy in women was comparable to that observed in men.
- Advanced imaging techniques have improved CAD assessment in female patients.
Conclusions:
- Myocardial perfusion imaging is an adequate noninvasive test for diagnosing and following up women with heart disease.
- Technological advancements have enhanced the utility of myocardial perfusion imaging in female populations.
- Addressing sex-based disparities in CAD diagnosis and treatment remains crucial.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States as well as in most of the industrialized world. Emerging data have displayed important sex-based differences in CAD: its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic strategies, response to therapies, and adverse outcomes. Although the incidence of CAD has doubled among women in the past decade, and the rate of women referred to diagnostic testing and revascularization has increased, this disease in female population is still identified less often, at a later stage and treated less aggressively than in men. Significant advances have been made in scintigraphic myocardial perfusion imaging for detection of ischemia, determination of prognosis, assessment of viability and evaluation of the efficacy of revascularization. With the introduction of technetium-99m perfusion agents, gated single photon emission computed tomography and attenuation correction, myocardial perfusion imaging in women has achieved as high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of CAD as that observed in men and can be considered an adequate noninvasive test to follow-up women with heart disease.
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