Value of gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for individual cardiac risk assessment

Myocardial perfusion imaging enables not only accurate diagnosis of disease but also entails prognostic value. Myocardial perfusion SPECT contributes to assessment of future cardiac events independently of other clinical parameters. A normal stress myocardial perfusion scan is associated with a favorable prognosis independent of history, symptoms, and exercise electrocardiography test variables. Cardiac risk and benefit from invasive therapeutic strategies increase in relation to the severity of the abnormality of perfusion and function assessed by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. Thus, stress myocardial perfusion imaging may serve as a gatekeeper for referral to coronary angiography enabling effective risk stratification in patients with suspected or documented coronary artery disease.