The course will discuss the development of a PET myocardial imaging program in community hospital. The indications for the examination, protocols, advantages over conventional SPECT and image acquisition will be presented. The definition and significance of coronary flow reserve will be reviewed and how the concept can be applied to clinical practice as an adjunct to standard images. Additive concepts such as transient ischemic dilatation, ejection fraction reserve and visual calcium score assessment will be introduced and how they can be integrated into the interpretation as a means to increase reader confidence. The potential pitfalls of attenuation correction will be explained.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the presentation and with a minimum of 80% proficiency, each attendee will be able to:
1. Understand PET imaging protocols, image acquisition, PET radiotracers, and image presentation
2. The concept of coronary flow reserve and how it can be used to complement image interpretation to improve reader confidence
3. Have an understanding of other image interpretation techniques including transient ischemic dilatation, ejection fraction reserve and qualitative coronary calcium scoring
4. Integrate the various types of imaging data to make a confident study interpretation

OUTLINE

• PET myocardial perfusion imaging