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Myocardial perfusion imaging
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<p>Myocardial perfusion imaging or scanning (also referred to as MPI or MPS) is a <a href="/facts/Nuclear_medicine/L9Dzjd90">nuclear medicine</a> procedure that illustrates the function of the heart muscle (<a href="/facts/Myocardium/oMqU4Sdu">myocardium</a>). </p><p>It evaluates many heart conditions, such as <a href="/facts/Coronary_artery_disease/szCt0nVx">coronary artery disease</a> (CAD), <a href="/facts/Hypertrophic_cardiomyopathy/NmPkh1rh">hypertrophic cardiomyopathy</a> and heart wall motion abnormalities. It can also detect regions of <a href="/facts/Myocardial_infarction/xoGw0qcG">myocardial infarction</a> by showing areas of decreased resting perfusion. The function of the myocardium is also evaluated by calculating the <a href="/facts/Left_ventricular/FCzV1xm7">left ventricular</a> <a href="/facts/Ejection_fraction/uWHyCe9j">ejection fraction</a> (LVEF) of the heart. This scan is done in conjunction with a <a href="/facts/Cardiac_stress_test/kL4ovnza">cardiac stress test</a>. The diagnostic information is generated by provoking controlled regional <a href="/facts/Ischemia/ySL9xbCl">ischemia</a> in the heart with variable <a href="/facts/Perfusion/EFVLNUTg">perfusion</a>. </p><p>Planar techniques, such as conventional <a href="/facts/Scintigraphy/tkaKjAEH">scintigraphy</a>, are rarely used. Rather, <a href="/facts/Single-photon_emission_computed_tomography/ag6of05C">single-photon emission computed tomography</a> (SPECT) is more common in the US. With multihead SPECT systems, imaging can often be completed in less than 10 minutes. With SPECT, inferior and posterior abnormalities and small areas of infarction can be identified, as well as the <a href="/facts/Vascular_occlusion/IM7wsnsK">occluded</a> <a href="/facts/Blood_vessel/FG3GjPNW">blood vessels</a> and the mass of <a href="/facts/Infarcted/3YCpcPhW">infarcted</a> and viable myocardium. The usual isotopes for such studies are either <a href="/facts/Isotopes_of_thallium/7BEwqp8j">thallium-201</a> or <a href="/facts/Technetium-99m/HgIqtvrv">technetium-99m</a>. </p>