Randall Thompson, MD, immediate past president of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), explains two key advances in cardiac nuclear imaging. These include the use of hybrid SPECT-CT and PET-CT systems to add anatomical information and calcium scoring, and the use of coronary flow reserve imaging to add additional information to exams.
Over the past few years at the annual ASNC meetings, the addition of PET quantitative myocardial perfusion (QMP) flow reserve to PET exams has been a hot topic. It can enhance cardiac PET imaging helping show the severity of the ischemia detected on a PET scan. This information can help determine the what therapy is used to treat the patient. QMP can determine if revascularization will help a patient.
CT is used to enhance nuclear imaging by offering attention correction to produce clearer images. It also offers anatomical imaging, including the ability to perform a calcium scoring scan at the same time. This enables an Agatston score to be generated, showing the patient's risk of a cardiovascular event over the next 10 years.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com