New Trends in Radionuclide Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.
Radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been widely used clinically as one of the major functional imaging modalities for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) for decades. Ample evidence has supported the use of MPI as a useful and important tool in the diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment planning for CAD. Although popular in the United States, MPI has become the most frequently used imaging modality among all nuclear medicine tests in Taiwan. However, it should be acknowledged that MPI SPECT does have its limitations. These include false-positive results due to certain artifacts, false-negative due to balanced ischemia, complexity and adverse reaction arising from current pharmacological stressors, time consuming nature of the imaging procedure, no blood flow quantitation and relatively high radiation exposure. The purpose of this article was to review the recent trends in nuclear cardiology, including the utilization of positron emission tomography (PET) for MPI, new stressor, new SPECT camera with higher resolution and higher sensitivity, dynamic SPECT protocol for blood flow quantitation, new software of phase analysis for evaluation of LV dyssynchrony, and measures utilized for reducing radiation exposure of MPI.


BACKGROUND
Coronary artery disease • Myocardial flow reserve • Myocardial perfusion imaging • Phase analysis • PET • SPECT.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chang Bing Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua;
Guang-Uei
GU
Hung
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi; ; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualian;
Yuh-Feng
YF
Wang
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei;
Hung-Yi
HY
Su
Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, China Medical University Hospital; ; Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, China Medical University, Taichung;
Te-Chun
TC
Hsieh
Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin;
Chi-Lun
CL
Ko
Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital; ; Department of Radiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Ruoh-Fang
RF
Yen