Pharmacologic perfusion imaging. Who needs it and why?

Pharmacologic perfusion imaging is an excellent choice for patients who cannot undergo treadmill exercise stress testing. The use of pharmacologic imaging has proved valuable in all branches of medicine and surgery. Patients requiring cardiac evaluation before vascular or orthopedic surgery can now be examined quite completely; there are very few patients today who cannot be "stressed" adequately. Advances in this field are being made every day, and the accuracy of testing will improve further when such new technologies as positron-emission tomography are more widely available.