A cardiac PET scan is a relatively new diagnostic tool used to assess heart disease. In positron emission tomography scanning, a patient is injected with a combination of a radioactive material and glucose, or sugar. Areas of healthy muscle will show increased absorption of the injection, while areas that are ailing will show less absorption, indicating which areas of the heart are diseased and to what degree. PET scans are useful for all stages of cardiac disease and for several different reasons.
Cardiac Disease Diagnosis
Initial diagnosis of coronary artery disease is the primary reason for performing a cardiac PET scan. Coronary artery disease, also referred to as heart disease, is characterized by blockages in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. The cardiac PET scan has proven to be extremely effective in measuring the blood flow through the coronary arteries and diagnosing heart disease. According to Radiology-info.org, cardiac PET scans have a 95 percent diagnostic accuracy rating in identifying coronary artery disease.
Cardiac Disease Staging
Staging of cardiac disease is another reason for performing a cardiac PET scan. Once a patient is diagnosed with coronary artery disease, the disease must be staged in order to treat it properly. A cardiac PET scan identifies exactly how much of the heart is affected by coronary artery disease and the severity of disease in the affected area. This information is useful for physicians to develop a treatment plan for individuals diagnosed with coronary artery disease.
Cardiac Disease Follow-Up
A cardiac PET scan is also performed to identify the effectiveness of a cardiac procedure. Coronary artery disease is commonly treated with surgical procedures. Bypass surgery, also known as coronary bypass graft surgery, is a surgical procedure in which a part of a healthy blood vessel from the body replaces the clogged, diseased artery in the heart. Cardiac PET scans are often performed after bypass surgery to ensure that the procedure has provided the heart with adequate blood supply. Cardiac PET scans are also performed after a cardiac procedure known as angioplasty, a procedure in which the clogged, diseased artery is opened by a balloon being inserted and inflated directly in the blood vessel. A cardiac PET scan is used to ensure that the procedure has provided adequate blood flow to the heart.
Myocardial Viability
A cardiac PET scan is commonly performed to assess myocardial viability of patients who have suffered cardiac damage from a heart attack, to differentiate between heart muscle that is dead and nonfunctioning and heart muscle that is alive and functioning improperly. Data from this test may determine whether the patient will benefit from a cardiac procedure such as an angioplasty or bypass surgery, or whether the patient would be better served with medications.
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