Nuclear medicine studies of the heart

Nuclear imaging techniques are well established diagnostic tools in clinical cardiology, providing noninvasive information about myocardial perfusion, function and metabolism. The cost-effectiveness of radionuclide imaging in the diagnostic work-up of patients with coronary artery disease has been demonstrated. Additionally, the documented prognostic value of scintigraphic parameters is of clinical importance to guide decision making. Advances in technology, new radiotracers and new applications contribute to continuous growth in the field of nuclear cardiology. Multi-headed gamma camera systems lead to higher spatial resolution and sensitivity of cardiac single photon emission tomography (SPECT), and they also provide the opportunity for attenuation correction or electrocardiographic gating of SPECT images. Objective quantitative values of perfusion, function and metabolism are derived from scintigraphic data by use of improved software and hardware. With the latest developments in tracer technology, imaging of myocardial necrosis, receptor systems and autonomic innervation has become a reality and will lead to new clinical applications in the future.