Positron emission tomography to quantitate myocardial perfusion.

The evolution of positron emission tomographic imaging devices coupled with the flexibility to easily label compounds with positron emitting radionuclides has enabled the development of quantitative methods for the noninvasive measurement of regional myocardial perfusion. The current state-of-the-art measurement methods are based on the kinetic characteristics of compounds that behave as inert, freely diffusible tracers or compounds that mimic the behavior of radiolabeled microspheres. Each of these myocardial blood flow methods has been developed so that the influence of resolution distortions in the finite resolution images is minimized. It is anticipated that the clinical extension of these myocardial blood flow methods will enable the noninvasive evaluation of coronary reserve, the assessment of the functional capacity of collateral circulation, and the effectiveness of treatment strategies for coronary artery disease. In this article, these methods are described and the initial experimental studies using these methods are summarized.