What's New in Cardiac Imaging?: Spect, Pet, and MRI

Since the introduction of myocardial perfusion imaging and radionuclide angiography in the mid-70s, cardiovascular nuclear medicine has undergone an explosive growth. The use of nuclear cardiology techniques has become one of the cornerstones of the of the noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease. In the past 15 years major steps have been made from visual analysis to quantitative analysis, from planar imaging to tomographic imaging, from detection of disease to prognosis, and from separate evaluations of perfusion, metabolism and function to an integrated assessment of myocardial viability. In recent years, many more advances have been made in cardiovascular nuclear imaging, such as the development of new imaging agents, re-evaluation of existing procedures and new clinical applications. This book describes the most recent developments in nuclear cardiology and also addresses new contrast agents in MRI.