Techniques to assess myocardial viability.

Assessment of myocardial viability in patients with chronic coronary artery disease or acute and sub-acute myocardial infarction is clinically important for distinguishing stunned and hibernating myocardium from irreversibly injured myocardium. Patients may benefit from revascularization when viable tissue is present in the dysfunctional area of the myocardium. Several clinical imaging modalities exist for assessment of viable myocardium which have proven useful for chronic chronic coronary artery disease are available but a reliable technique for the assessment of myocardial viability in the sub-acute situation does not exist.