Nuclear Cardiology & Cardiac CT
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the western world. Each year in the U.S.A, more than 500,000 men and women die from coronary artery disease. During the past two decades, major strides have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Nuclear Cardiology has played a pivotal role in establishing the diagnosis of heart disease and in the assessment of disease extent and the prediction of outcomes in the setting of coronary artery disease. Nuclear cardiology studies use noninvasive techniques to assess myocardial blood flow, evaluate the pumping function of the heart as well as visualize the size and location of a heart attack. Among the techniques of nuclear cardiology, myocardial perfusion imaging is the most widely used.
A computed tomography scan — commonly called a CT scan or CAT scan — is a test that uses X-rays to view specific areas of your body. These scans use safe amounts of radiation to create detailed images of the body, which can help the doctor to detect any problems. A heart, or cardiac, CT scan is used to view your heart and blood vessels. A heart CT scan may also be called a coronary CT angiogram if it’s meant to view the arteries that bring blood to your heart. The test may be called a coronary calcium scan if it’s meant to determine whether there is a buildup of calcium in your heart.