Cardiac MPI (myocardial perfusion imaging) is a noninvasive, high-resolution heart imaging test that utilizes positron emission tomography (PET) to diagnose myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and peak stress, equipping physicians with newfound accuracy when determining microvascular function, narrowed, blocked or damaged arteries, and diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiovascular risk.
During Cardiac PET MPI, radioactive tracers are injected into the bloodstream and captured in images as blood flows through the heart at rest and during a stress test induced by medication, revealing the quality of blood flow and detecting areas where blood flow is restricted due to poor heart muscle function or tissue damage.
Cardiac MPI PET gives cardiologists previously unavailable clarity on patient heart function while pinpointing specific areas where blood flow is limited by way of tracer colorations and brightness. This provides insight into the complete spectrum of tissue function that signifies both healthy muscle function as well as dead or damaged tissue related to myocardial ischemia and microvascular dysfunction present in CAD and which leads to cardiovascular risk.
Cardiac PET MPI is recognized as the preferred test for patients diagnosed with or at risk of coronary artery disease and offers improved image quality over SPECT testing, among other significant benefits.