title: Clinical value, cost-effectiveness, and safety of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: a position statement.
abstract: Mortality rates due to coronary artery disease (CAD) have declined in recent years as result of improved prevention, diagnosis, and management. Nonetheless, CAD remains the leading cause of death worldwide with most casualties expected to occur in developing nations. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) provides a highly cost-effective tool for the early detection of obstructive CAD in symptomatic individuals and contributes substantially to stratification of patients according to their risk of cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. MPS also provides valuable information that assists clinical decision-making with regard to medical treatment and intervention. A large body of evidence supports the current applications of MPS, which has become integral to several guidelines for clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, S. Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Scientific Institute of Veruno, V. Revislate 13, 28010 Veruno, NO, Italy. claudio.marcassa@fsm.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcassa
authors.forename: Jeroen J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bax
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bengel
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hesse
authors.forename: Claus L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Underwood
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011379:Prognosis; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*