Myocardial Contractility, Perfusion, and Viability Analysis Using Multidetector CT in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

ABSTRACT

The imaging technique that can provide detailed information on the left ventricular function, myocardial perfusion and viability at the same time will not only be helpful for the prognostic assessment of patients with ischemic heart disease but also be valuable in choosing appropriate therapeutic strategies. In recent years, multidetector CT (MDCT) has been proposed as a useful non-invasive imaging method of evaluating both coronary artery stenoses and cardiac morphology at the same time. MDCT has proved to be in excellent agreement with echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of the left ventricular function. In addition, MDCT can provide information on myocardial viability, which can be assessed from the left ventricular wall thickness, myocardial perfusion, and a delayed contrast enhancement pattern. Despite several shortcomings to be the first-line modality for the assessment of ischemic heart disease, MDCT can provide valuable additional dynamic information in patients undergoing MDCT coronary angiography.