Exercise (18)FDG imaging for the detection of CAD: What are the clinical hurdles?

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been in clinical use for over 30 years, providing an effective, reliable, and relatively simple tool for diagnosis, risk stratification, and follow-up of patients with suspected or know coronary artery disease (CAD). The unique strength of nuclear imaging is its ability to provide tools for imaging biochemical and metabolic processes, and receptor and transporter functions at molecular and cellular levels in intact organisms under various physiologic conditions. Metabolic imaging using radiolabeled glucose analogues ((18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose [(18)FDG]) provides a unique ability to image myocardial ischemia directly ("hot spot" imaging) in patients with known or suspected CAD.

Renal abnormalities as incidental findings on myocardial single photon emission computed tomography perfusion imaging.

Incidental noncardiac abnormalities are frequent in myocardial perfusion imaging studies. It is important for interpreting physicians to be aware of the spectrum of abnormalities that can be detected from these studies. This report describes four cases with polycystic kidney disease with or without liver involvement and one case with polycystic liver disease with corroborative radiological studies.