Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Myocardial perfusion imaging in the elderly: a review
Olivier De Winter1, Nico Van de Veire, Filip Gemmel
1Nuclear Medicine Division, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. olivier.dewinter@UGent.be
Insights
Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) aids in diagnosing coronary artery disease in elderly patients. Electrocardiogram-gated MPI improves accuracy and assesses heart function, crucial for this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) significantly impacts elderly morbidity and mortality.
- Aging populations and advanced treatments lead to increased referrals for CAD diagnosis in older adults.
- Diagnosing CAD in the elderly is challenging due to atypical symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review stress testing combined with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) for elderly patients.
- To discuss the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of MPI in this demographic.
- To highlight the benefits of electrocardiogram-gated MPI.
Main Methods:
- Overview of various stress modalities used in conjunction with MPI.
- Focus on technetium-99m ligands for myocardial perfusion imaging.
- Inclusion of electrocardiogram-gated imaging for enhanced specificity and functional assessment.
Main Results:
- Electrocardiogram-gated MPI enhances specificity for CAD detection.
- Simultaneous assessment of left ventricular function is possible with gated MPI.
- MPI demonstrates diagnostic and prognostic value in elderly patients with suspected CAD.
Conclusions:
- Myocardial perfusion imaging is a valuable tool for diagnosing CAD in the elderly.
- Electrocardiogram-gated MPI offers improved accuracy and functional insights.
- MPI aids in risk stratification and management of coronary artery disease in older adults.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. As a result of ageing of the population and better medical, interventional and surgical treatment of patients with coronary artery disease, more and more elderly patients are referred to the cardiology department for diagnostic work-up. Stress testing, in combination with myocardial perfusion imaging, is routinely used in elderly patients, a population in which the diagnosis of significant coronary artery disease is often challenging because of atypical symptomatology. Since the introduction of technetium-99m ligands for myocardial perfusion imaging, it is possible to perform electrocardiogram-gated perfusion imaging. This not only improves the specificity of the test for coronary artery disease detection, but also enables the simultaneous assessment of left ventricular functional parameters. This article briefly overviews the possible stress modalities, diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of myocardial perfusion imaging in elderly patients.
