[The integration of positron emission tomography into noninvasive cardiovascular diagnosis]

Cardiac positron emission tomography is a noninvasive imaging modality that can be used to assess regional myocardial blood flow and metabolism. This combined noninvasive approach to the evaluation of acute or chronic injury to the myocardium is superior to all other imaging modalities. With increasingly widespread use of positron emission tomography it is becoming evident that patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (less than or equal to 35%) resulting from congestive heart failure and patients soon (72-96 h) after acute myocardial infarction in particular may benefit from definition of metabolically active myocardium to stratify therapeutic assessment.