EANM/ESC guidelines for radionuclide imaging of cardiac function

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Cardiology
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Radionuclide imaging provides validated methods for assessing cardiac function, including ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and volumes.
• Accurate determination of right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function is crucial for diagnosing and managing cardiac diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide the first European guidelines for the use of radionuclide imaging in cardiac function evaluation.
• To offer recommendations on the appropriate use and interpretation of various nuclear cardiology techniques.

Main Methods:

• The guidelines cover first-pass and equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography, gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, and gated PET.
• Recommendations address clinical indications, radiopharmaceuticals, dosimetry, study acquisition, and interpretation of RV and LV function, volumes, and diastolic function.

Main Results:

• The guidelines detail the application of radionuclide imaging for assessing RV and LV ejection fraction (EF) and volumes.
• They include sections on regional and diastolic function, reporting standards, image display, and reference values.

Conclusions:

• These guidelines aim to standardize and improve the practice of nuclear cardiology for cardiac function assessment.
• They provide a consensus-based framework for referral, performance, interpretation, and reporting of nuclear cardiology studies.