Nuclear cardiology

Section editor: Eli V. Gelfand, M.D. (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School) [mailto:egelfand@bidmc.harvard.edu]

General overview of Nuclear Cardiology
 * Basic physical principles of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
 * Basic physical principles of positron emission tomography (PET)
 * Commonly used radiopharmaceuticals
 * Selecting appropriate candidates for myocardial perfusion imaging
 * Standard exercise stress protocols
 * Standard pharmacologic stress protocols
 * Imaging protocols
 * Combining myocardial perfusion imaging with coronary CT
 * Radionuclide angiography
 * Molecular imaging and related novel technologies

Clinical use of stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI)


 * ACCF/ASNC appropriateness criteria for SPECT-MPI (2005)
 * ACC/AHA guidelines for cardiac radionuclide imaging (2003)

Coronary Disease
 * Assessment of patients presenting with chest pain to the Emergency Department
 * Detection of CAD
 * Management, risk assessment and prognosis of patients with chronic CAD
 * Detection of acute MI
 * Risk assessment of patients following ST-elevation MI
 * Risk assessment of patients following non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome

''Heart Failure
 * Assessment of LV systolic function
 * Assessment of etiology of heart failure
 * Detection of CAD in patients with heart failure
 * Determination of myocardial viability

Specific patient populations
 * Patients with an "uninterpretable" resting ECG
 * Elderly patients
 * Asymptomatic patients with diabetes
 * Patients following up after a coronary calcium screening
 * Patients before and after coronary revascularization
 * Patients undergoing elective noncardiac surgery