Myocardial perfusion imaging for evaluating interventions in coronary artery disease

Myocardial perfusion imaging provides a means for evaluating the effects of interventional therapy in several groups of patients with coronary artery disease. In patients with unstable angina, imaging during or after chest pain can be used to identify areas of jeopardized myocardium and to predict the risk of subsequent cardiac events including myocardial infarction. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the effect of thrombolytic therapy can be monitored, and in patients with chronic ischemia and left ventricular dysfunction, thallium imaging can be used to predict whether revascularization will improve myocardial function. In patients with stable coronary artery disease, perfusion imaging has been used to evaluate efficacy of anti-anginal medications. This article reviews the use of myocardial perfusion imaging in determining the need for, and success of, various medical and surgical therapeutic interventions in patients with ischemic heart disease.