Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy: clinical value

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) is most commonly used to diagnose or exclude obstructive coronary disease in patients presenting with chest pain. This chapter covers the value of MPS in this context, as well as providing detail on the guidelines which help the clinician choose what investigations are appropriate for the patient presenting with chest pain. It also details a number of considerations related to the use of MPS, such as its cost-effectiveness and the prognosis value in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease compared to exercise ECG, X-ray computed tomographic coronary angiography, and other imaging investigations. Risk assessment prior to elective non-cardiac surgery is covered, with detailed attention paid to the challenges of assessing coronary artery disease special groups including women and patients with diabetes or renal disease. This chapter also covers assessment in known stable coronary artery disease, predicting the value of coronary revascularization and hibernating myocardium.