Cardiac applications of PET

Routine use of cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) applications has been increasing but has not replaced cardiac single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) studies yet. The majority of cardiac PET tracers, with the exception of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), are not widely available, as they require either an onsite cyclotron or a costly generator for their production. 18F-FDG PET imaging has high sensitivity for the detection of hibernating/viable myocardium and has replaced Tl-201 SPECT imaging in centers equipped with a PET/CT camera. PET myocardial perfusion imaging with various tracers such as Rb-82, N-13 ammonia, and O-15 H2O has higher sensitivity and specificity than myocardial perfusion SPECT for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). In particular, quantitative PET measurements of myocardial perfusion help identify subclinical coronary stenosis, better define the extent and severity of CAD, and detect ischemia when there is balanced reduction in myocardial perfusion due to three-vessel or main stem CAD. Fusion images of PET perfusion and CT coronary artery calcium scoring or CT coronary angiography provide additional complementary information and improve the detection of CAD. PET studies with novel 18F-labeled perfusion tracers such as 18F-flurpiridaz and 18F-FBnTP have yielded high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of CAD. These tracers are still being tested in humans, and, if approved for clinical use, they will be commercially and widely available. In addition to viability studies, 18F-FDG PET can also be utilized to detect inflammation/infection in various conditions such as endocarditis, sarcoidosis, and atherosclerosis. Some recent series have obtained encouraging results for the detection of endocarditis in patients with intracardiac devices and prosthetic valves. PET tracers for cardiac neuronal imaging, such as C-11 HED, help assess the severity of heart failure and post-transplant cardiac reinnervation, and understand the pathogenesis of arrhytmias. The other uncommon applications of cardiac PET include NaF imaging to identify calcium deposition in atherosclerotic plaques and β-amyloid imaging to diagnose cardiac amyloid involvement. 18F-FDG imaging with a novel PET/MR camera has been reported to be very sensitive and specific for the differentiation between malignant and nonmalignant cardiac masses. The other potential applications of PET/MR are cardiac infectious/inflammatory conditions such as endocarditis.