BACKGROUND Diffuse coronary atherosclerosis is the substrate for plaque rupture and coronary events. Therefore, in patients with mild arteriographic coronary artery disease without significant segmental dipyridamole-induced myocardial perfusion defects, we tested the hypothesis that fluid dynamically significant diffuse coronary artery narrowing is frequently manifest as a graded, longitudinal,...

OBJECTIVE Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) has been used to provide enhanced myocardial perfusion in patients not suitable for coronary revascularization or angioplasty. This study investigates the acute changes in myocardial perfusion after TMLR with a Holmium:Yttrium-Aluminium-Garnet (YAG) laser with a thermal imaging camera in a model of acute ischaemia, and confirms its midter...

Noninvasive cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has progressed rapidly over the past few years and will most likely become an integral part of the diagnostic workup of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). In this article the rationale for using perfusion-CMR is discussed, followed by a summary of current state-of-the-art perfusion-CMR techniques that addresses ph...

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to assess the integrated role of scintigraphy by Tc99m MIBI in diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma and its impacts on the myocardium, and to evaluate whether myocardium perfusion gated SPECT study could be a complementary routine workup for patient with positive parathyroid adenoma on Tc99m MIBI parathyroid scan. Methods: Rest myocardium perfusion gated ...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare the assessment of myocardial perfusion by myocardial parametric quantification (MPQ) with technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) imaging in humans. BACKGROUND Accurate visual interpretation of myocardial contrast echocardiographic (MCE) images is qualitative and requires considerable experience. Current ...

Introduction: It is recommended that the physician apply at least a semi-quantitative segmental scoring system in myocardial perfusion SPECT.  We aimed to assess the agreement between automated semi-quantitative analysis using QPS (quantitative Perfusion SPECT) software and visual approach for calculation of summed stress  score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS) and summed difference score (SDS). ...

Radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging has been established as a noninvasive method for diagnosis of coronary artery disease. The assessment of myocardial perfusion imaging can be done by either qualitative or quantitative analyses. Through use of both types of analyses, clinically useful reproducible interpretation of myocardial perfusion images requires considerable operator experience. Th...

Computed tomography (CT) is capable of comprehensively assessing the heart in order to provide information on anatomy, function, perfusion and viability. CT coronary angiography can assess both the coronary artery lumen and the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques. CT myocardial perfusion imaging can provide additional information compared to CT coronary angiography by highlighting areas ...

Objective: To test the hypothesis that scintigraphic regional myocardial perfusion defects during exercise in patients with normal coronary angiography may be related to abnormal endothelium dependent vasoreactivity of the corresponding myocardial territory in response to cold pressor testing. Methods: 38 patients were classified into two groups according to the presence or absence of exercise ...

OBJECTIVES We analyzed the safety and feasibility of myocardial echocardiography with intracoronary injection of contrast, its effect on left ventricular remodeling and systolic function, and its relationship with angiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of post-infarction coronary microcirculation. PATIENTS AND METHOD Thirty patients with a first ST-elevation myoca...