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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
[Coronary artery disease and cardiac ischemic disease: two different pathologies with different diagnostic
1Servicio de Cardiología Nuclear y Tomografía Cardiaca, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México, DF. vallejo.enrique@gmail.com
Insights
Early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial. This review compares cardiac SPECT and cardiac CT, discussing their strengths and limitations for diagnosing and managing patients with suspected CAD.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Diagnostic Techniques
Context:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death globally.
- Invasive coronary angiography is the gold standard for CAD detection.
- Non-invasive imaging modalities like cardiac SPECT and cardiac CT have emerged as alternatives.
Purpose:
- To critically review the clinical experience with cardiac SPECT and cardiac CT.
- To compare the strengths and limitations of these non-invasive techniques.
- To evaluate their roles in diagnosing and managing patients with suspected CAD.
Summary:
- Cardiac SPECT visualizes myocardial perfusion, assessing hemodynamic consequences of coronary lesions.
- Cardiac CT detects atherosclerosis, enabling earlier CAD identification.
- Both modalities offer distinct advantages in evaluating patients with suspected or established CAD.
Impact:
- Provides a comprehensive overview of non-invasive CAD diagnostic tools.
- Aids clinicians in selecting appropriate imaging modalities for patient care.
- Contributes to the ongoing evolution of cardiovascular disease management strategies.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death in the Western world, and early detection of CAD allows optimal therapeutic management. The gold standard has always been invasive coronary angiography, but over the years various non-invasive techniques have been developed to detect CAD, including cardiac SPECT and cardiac computed tomography (Cardiac CT). Cardiac SPECT permitted visualization of myocardial perfusion and have focused on the assessment of the hemodynamic consequences of obstructive coronary lesions as a marker of CAD. Cardiac CT focuses on the detection of atherosclerosis rather than ischemia, and permit detection of CAD at an earlier stage. Objectives of this manuscript are to discuss the clinical experience with both modalities and to provide a critical review of the strengths and limitations of Cardiac SPECT and Cardiac CT for the diagnostic and management of patients with suspected CAD or cardiac ischemic disease.
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