title: Myocardial perfusion imaging protocols: is there an ideal protocol?
abstract: Is there an ideal myocardial perfusion imaging protocol? In order to answer this question and choose a protocol for clinical use, one must understand the characteristics of the available radiopharmaceuticals, the protocol variables, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. After reading this article, the technologist should be able to list the ideal characteristics of a myocardial perfusion imaging agent, describe and compare the characteristics of myocardial perfusion imaging agents, discuss the relationship between coronary blood flow and myocardial uptake of various tracers, describe imaging protocols, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each protocol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine/PET, VA Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York, USA. syed.husain@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Syed Sajid
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Husain
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals