Myocardial Scintigraphy

Myocardial scintigraphy, combined with a pharmacological (medication-induced) stress test, is a highly sensitive, non-invasive procedure used to identify and localize blood flow reductions (ischemia) in the heart muscle. This nuclear medicine technique involves injecting a mildly radioactive substance into a vein. The substance distributes throughout the body, accumulating in the heart muscle. A specialized camera measures the radioactivity over the heart muscle and displays it graphically, providing an image of blood flow patterns.H

Common Indications for Myocardial Scintigraphy:

• Suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) with intermediate clinical probability
• Assessing the functional relevance of stenoses (vascular narrowings) in known CAD
• Differentiating between scars and reversible ischemia
• Evaluating reduced blood flow in the heart muscle before and after revascularization procedures (e.g., PTCA, bypass surgery)
• Occasionally, determining left ventricular pump function