Radionuclide Imaging Helps Guide CHF Management

Background: The morbidity and mortality rates associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) are increasing. It is the only major category of cardiovascular disease for which hospitalization and mortality rates have worsened during the last 25 years. Objective: To assess the role of radionuclide imaging in CHF. Design: Literature review. Review: This review focuses on three aspects of radionuclide imaging: (1) the differentiation of ischemic versus nonischemic CHF; (2) the risk stratification of CHF patients with an emphasis on specific treatment strategies; and (3) an evaluation of the role of neuronal imaging in CHF. Ischemic vs Nonischemic CHF: The differentiation of ischemic from nonischemic cardiomyopathy is important in patient management because patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy may potentially experience a dramatic improvement with revascularization. Gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging has been shown to be a robust technology for detecting ischemic cardiomyopathy in more...