The role of imaging techniques in stress testing.

The addition of various cardiac imaging techniques to standard ECG stress testing has permitted enhanced diagnostic capability in the evaluation of patients with suspected coronary artery disease. In addition, the prognostic and pathophysiologic information provided by such imaging modalities has given us insight not previously available by standard stress testing alone. This has been helpful in guiding management decisions in patients with known coronary artery disease. The modalities include myocardial perfusion imaging, stress echocardiography, and radionuclide ventriculography. These techniques can provide complementing and unique information in the evaluation of myocardial blood flow, function, and viability.