The most salient feature of the infor last four chapters of the book evaluate the mation provided by nuclear medicine is its information from an analytical and pathophysiological and functional charac statistical point of view. This approach is ter. For adequate experimental or clinical required for correct decision-making. interpretation, such information should This book is therefore the result of necessarily be interpreted alongside the accumulated experience in nuclear cardiology views of the clinical cardiologist, who is with the invaluable cooperation of medical able to apply it to the individual patient. statisticians. It is directed to physicians This approach, which is routine in every with an interest in nuclear cardiology, to day clinical practice, reaches its plenitude nuclear medicine specialists wishing to when the whole process is completed and learn the uses and limitations of these an intimate cooperation is established procedures in everyday clinical cardiology, between the nuclear medicine specialist and to cardiologists who feel the need to and the clinical cardiologist. In such understand the rationale and methodology instances, each one of these professionals of the studies which benefit their patients. understands the needs, limits and possi We understand that the ultimate reason bilities of the other. for any scientific book is the transmission The present book is the fruit of such of knowledge, and we are fully conscious cooperation. In our hospital, an efficient of the enthusiasm of the authors of the nuclear cardiology team has been made up present text to achieve that aim.

The clinical use of nuclear cardiology for the assessment of myocardial ischemia continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Part of the reason for this growth is the technical advances in single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). SPECT has been shown to provide high contrast images superior to planar imaging techniques. An important and recent technical advancement in SPECT has been ECG-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT to generate simultaneous myocardial perfusion and function information from a single study. Automated, quantitative techniques have facilitated the widespread application of this breakthrough. Another recent advancement has been the use of attenuation correction techniques to help remove the effects of the physical phenomena that degrades the visual and quantitative accuracy of SPECT images. Another reason for the growth of the clinical use of nuclear cardiology is the large body of published evidence documenting the effectiveness of SPECT techniques for assessing myocardial ischemia, myocardium at risk, viable myocardium and stunned or hibernating myocardium. These assessments have been shown to be important not only in diagnosis but also in prognosis. This book is divided into three major sections, each addressing the important topics of nuclear cardiology. The first section is a that have led to the clinical success description of the technical aspects of state-of-the-art myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging. This section deals with the radionuclides, instrumentation, image acquisition and analysis, interpretation and quantification techniques used in the most progressive nuclear cardiology clinics.

The clinical use of nuclear cardiology for the assessment of myocardial ischemia continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Part of the reason for this growth is the technical advances in single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). SPECT has been shown to provide high contrast images superior to planar imaging techniques. An important and recent technical advancement in SPECT has been ECG-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT to generate simultaneous myocardial perfusion and function information from a single study. Automated, quantitative techniques have facilitated the widespread application of this breakthrough. Another recent advancement has been the use of attenuation correction techniques to help remove the effects of the physical phenomena that degrades the visual and quantitative accuracy of SPECT images. Another reason for the growth of the clinical use of nuclear cardiology is the large body of published evidence documenting the effectiveness of SPECT techniques for assessing myocardial ischemia, myocardium at risk, viable myocardium and stunned or hibernating myocardium. These assessments have been shown to be important not only in diagnosis but also in prognosis. This book is divided into three major sections, each addressing the important topics of nuclear cardiology. The first section is a that have led to the clinical success description of the technical aspects of state-of-the-art myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging. This section deals with the radionuclides, instrumentation, image acquisition and analysis, interpretation and quantification techniques used in the most progressive nuclear cardiology clinics.

The most salient feature of the infor last four chapters of the book evaluate the mation provided by nuclear medicine is its information from an analytical and pathophysiological and functional charac statistical point of view. This approach is ter. For adequate experimental or clinical required for correct decision-making. interpretation, such information should This book is therefore the result of necessarily be interpreted alongside the accumulated experience in nuclear cardiology views of the clinical cardiologist, who is with the invaluable cooperation of medical able to apply it to the individual patient. statisticians. It is directed to physicians This approach, which is routine in every with an interest in nuclear cardiology, to day clinical practice, reaches its plenitude nuclear medicine specialists wishing to when the whole process is completed and learn the uses and limitations of these an intimate cooperation is established procedures in everyday clinical cardiology, between the nuclear medicine specialist and to cardiologists who feel the need to and the clinical cardiologist. In such understand the rationale and methodology instances, each one of these professionals of the studies which benefit their patients. understands the needs, limits and possi We understand that the ultimate reason bilities of the other. for any scientific book is the transmission The present book is the fruit of such of knowledge, and we are fully conscious cooperation. In our hospital, an efficient of the enthusiasm of the authors of the nuclear cardiology team has been made up present text to achieve that aim.