Radionuclide wall motion study and ejection fraction in clinical practice

Assessment of ventricular function is important in diagnosis and as a predictor of survival in many cardiopulmonary disorders, and analysis of ventricular function is one of the oldest applications of radioactive tracers in medicine. A sequence of parallel developments in instrumentation, radiopharmaceuticals, and nuclear medicine computers has allowed implementation of accurate, sensitive, noninvasive techniques for analysis of both right and left ventricular function. Techniques, indications, applications, and information that can be obtained are discussed.