Clinical value, cost-effectiveness, and safety of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: a position statement

Eur Heart J. 2008 Feb;29(4):557-63. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehm607. Epub 2008 Jan 17.

Abstract

Mortality rates due to coronary artery disease (CAD) have declined in recent years as result of improved prevention, diagnosis, and management. Nonetheless, CAD remains the leading cause of death worldwide with most casualties expected to occur in developing nations. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) provides a highly cost-effective tool for the early detection of obstructive CAD in symptomatic individuals and contributes substantially to stratification of patients according to their risk of cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. MPS also provides valuable information that assists clinical decision-making with regard to medical treatment and intervention. A large body of evidence supports the current applications of MPS, which has become integral to several guidelines for clinical practice.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Coronary Syndrome / diagnostic imaging
  • Acute Coronary Syndrome / mortality
  • Angina Pectoris / diagnostic imaging
  • Angina Pectoris / mortality
  • Coronary Artery Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Coronary Artery Disease / mortality
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Humans
  • Myocardial Infarction / diagnostic imaging
  • Myocardial Infarction / economics
  • Myocardial Infarction / mortality
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic / standards
  • Prognosis
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / economics
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / methods
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / standards*