New nuclear medicine techniques for the assessment of myocardial viability

Een dotterbehandeling of een bypassoperatie heeft alleen zin als er nog voldoende hartspierweefsel over is dat zich kan herstellen. Momenteel wordt de vitaliteit van de hartspier voor de ingreep nog onderzocht met een PET-scan, maar deze techniek is duur en maar in een paar ziekenhuizen in Nederland aanwezig. Riemer Slart constateert in zijn proefschrift dat een goedkopere scan het succes van een bypass of dotteren ook kan voorspellen.

FDG-PET/CT(A) imaging in large vessel vasculitis and polymyalgia rheumatica:joint procedural recommendation of the EANM, SNMMI, and the PET Interest Group (PIG), and endorsed by the ASNC

Large vessel vasculitis (LVV) is defined as a disease mainly affecting the large arteries, with two major variants. Takayasu arteritis (TA) and giant cell arteritis (GCA). GCA often coexists with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in the same patient, since both belong to the same disease spectrum. FDG-PET/CT is a functional imaging technique which is an established tool in oncology, and has also demonstrated a role in the field of inflammatory diseases. Functional FDG-PET combined with anatomical CT angiography, FDG-PET/CT(A), may be of synergistic value for optimal diagnosis, monitoring of disease activity, and evaluating damage progression in LVV There are currently no guidelines regarding PET imaging acquisition for LVV and PMR, even though standardization is of the utmost importance in order to facilitate clinical studies and for daily clinical practice. This work constitutes a joint procedural recommendation on FDG-PET/CT(A) imaging in large vessel vasculitis (LVV) and PMR from the Cardiovascular and Inflammation &amp; Infection Committees of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the Cardiovascular Council of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), and the PET Interest Group (PIG), and endorsed by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC). The aim of this joint paper is to provide recommendations and statements, based on the available evidence in the literature and consensus of experts in the field, for patient preparation, and FDG-PET/CT(A) acquisition and interpretation for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with suspected or diagnosed LVV and/or PMR. This position paper aims to set an internationally accepted standard for FDG-PET/CT(A) imaging and reporting of LVV and PMR.</p

Hybrid Imaging of the Autonomic Cardiac Nervous System

Cardiac autonomic innervation is an integrative part of the physiology of the heart. This chapter reveals an overview of SPECT and PET application in cardiac sympathetic nervous system imaging in various cardiovascular diseases, including acquisition techniques and data analysis.</p

Is having a sweetheart enough to survive?

Almost three decades after the description of improved left ventricular function caused by chronic impaired coronary perfusion, and the rise of the term “Hibernation,” finding that hibernating myocardium is still a challenge for cardiologists

Large Vessel Vasculitis

2-[18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has become part of the worldwide standard of care in oncology. For a decade, this functional imaging tool has also demonstrated important diagnostic results in inflammatory diseases, especially in large vessel vasculitis (LVV). Since clinical PET imaging is increasingly used in these two conditions, this chapter aims to assist imaging specialists and clinicians by getting acquainted with the PET imaging procedures and the current status in clinical practice for LVV. General background information, PET technical considerations (including patient preparation, imaging protocols, scoring methodology), diagnostic and prognostic performance, and response monitoring will be addressed, in line with recent international expert-based recommendations.Also, in the era of personalized medicine, new hybrid technologies such as PET/MR and PET radiotracers will be discussed.</sub