Images or pictures are taken of the heart while at rest and after the heart is stressed. A nuclear medicine nm cardiac stress test assesses the blood supply to the heart and provides information about how the heart is working. It can also detect regions of myocardial infarction by showing areas of decreased resting.
It evaluates many heart conditions such as coronary artery disease cad hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart wall motion abnormalities. Myocardial perfusion imaging or scanning also referred to as mpi or mps is a nuclear medicine procedure that illustrates the function of the heart muscle. Among the techniques of nuclear cardiology myocardial perfusion imaging is the most widely used.
Nuclear cardiology studies use noninvasive techniques to assess myocardial blood flow evaluate the pumping function of the heart as well as visualize the size and location of a heart attack. Cardiac imaging refers to non invasive imaging of the heart using ultrasound magnetic resonance imaging mri computed tomography ct or nuclear medicine nm imaging with pet or spect these cardiac techniques are otherwise referred to as echocardiography cardiac mri cardiac ct cardiac pet and cardiac spect including myocardial perfusion imaging. Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive.
It also may be used to help determine whether the heart has been damaged by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Cardiac nuclear medicine cardiac nuclear medicine imaging evaluates the heart for coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy diseases of the heart muscle. Our state of the art toshiba 320 slice ct scanner and 3t siemens skyra mri magnet allows us to perform studies to assess coronaries and the aortic valve for percutaneous replacement.
We offer a full line of cardiac and coronary ct mri and nuclear medicine imaging. Images of the heart are acquired when the heart is in a baseline resting state and again after the heart has been exercised or stressed images are taken using specialized cameras gamma or. A nuclear stress test is a minimally invasive diagnostic imaging procedure designed to evaluate the perfusion of blood through the coronary arteries to the heart muscle.
We reviewed pubmed medline without time constraints on the different nuclear imaging modalities that are used to visualize myocardial amyloid involvement. Cardiac amyloidosis is a debilitating disease and can lead to arrhythmias deterioration of heart function and even sudden death. It can be localized in just one organ or systemic.
The first set of pictures is taken right after an exercise or medicine stress test because some problems can be detected.
Cardiac nuclear medicine images. Cardiac nuclear medicine is useful in diagnosing and assessing coronary artery disease. It is also used to evaluate cardiomyopathy and identify possible damage to the heart from chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Nuclear medicine imaging procedures are noninvasive. With the exception of intravenous injections they are usually painless.
A nuclear heart scan may be performed in a medical imaging facility or hospital. Your heart will be monitored during this test with an electrocardiogram ekg. Two sets of pictures will be taken each taking 15 to 30 minutes.
Two sets of pictures will be taken each taking 15 to 30 minutes. Your heart will be monitored during this test with an electrocardiogram ekg. A nuclear heart scan may be performed in a medical imaging facility or hospital.
With the exception of intravenous injections they are usually painless. Nuclear medicine imaging procedures are noninvasive. It is also used to evaluate cardiomyopathy and identify possible damage to the heart from chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Cardiac nuclear medicine is useful in diagnosing and assessing coronary artery disease.
