Metabolic imaging using PET.
BACKGROUND
There is growing evidence that myocardial metabolism plays a key role not only in ischaemic heart disease but also in a variety of diseases which involve myocardium globally, such as heart failure and diabetes mellitus. Understanding myocardial metabolism in such diseases helps to elucidate the pathophysiology and assists in making therapeutic decisions.


METHODS
As well as providing information on regional changes, PET can deliver quantitative information about both regional and global changes in metabolism. This capability of quantitative measurement is one of the major advantages of PET along with physiological positron tracers, especially relevant in evaluating diseases which involve the whole myocardium.


CONCLUSIONS
This review discusses major PET tracers for metabolic imaging and their clinical applications and contributions to research regarding ischaemic heart disease and other diseases such as heart failure and diabetic heart disease. Future applications of positron metabolic tracers for the detection of vulnerable plaque are also highlighted briefly.
Kudo
Takashi
T
Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan. tkudo@u-fukui.ac.jp
D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
D005227:Fatty Acids; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals