Updates on Stress Imaging Testing and Myocardial Viability With Advanced Imaging Modalities.

Non-invasive stress testing plays a key role in diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with coronary artery disease. Technical advances in CT, MRI, and PET have lead to increased utility of these modalities in myocardial perfusion imaging. The aim of the review is to provide a succinct update on CT, PET, and MRI for myocardial stress perfusion imaging.

Late gadolinium enhancement among survivors of sudden cardiac arrest.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the role of contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the workup of patients with aborted sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and in the prediction of long-term outcomes.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a key substrate for SCA, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on a CMR study is a robust technique for imaging of myocardial fibrosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all survivors of SCA who were referred for CMR studies and performed follow-up for the subsequent occurrence of an adverse event (death and appropriate defibrillator therapy).

CMR quantification of myocardial scar provides additive prognostic information in nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether the extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) can provide additive prognostic information in patients with a nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC) with an indication for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Background: Data suggest that the presence of LGE is a strong discriminator of events in patients with NIDC. Limited data exist on the role of LGE quantification.

Comparison of dual-source 64-slice adenosine stress CT perfusion with stress-gated SPECT-MPI for evaluation of left ventricular function and volumes.

Background: Evaluation of left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (LVEF) represent important components of pharmacologic stress imaging with either myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) or gated single-photon emission CT (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI).

Objectives: We compared measurements of left ventricular function and volumes obtained with CTP and SPECT-MPI.

Methods: Forty-seven patients (mean age, 62 ± 11 years; male, n = 39) underwent stress CTP and SPECT-MPI.