Which imaging modality is often used to evaluate cardiac perfusion?

Nuclear medicine is a key imaging modality for evaluating cardiac perfusion, particularly through techniques such as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) or Positron Emission Tomography (PET). These methods utilize radiopharmaceuticals that emit gamma rays, which are detected by special cameras to create detailed images of the heart muscle and identify areas with decreased blood flow or perfusion. This is crucial in assessing coronary artery disease or myocardial ischemia.

Nuclear imaging allows not only the visualization of the heart's structure but also provides functional information about how well blood is being delivered to the heart tissue. The ability to assess both perfusion and function makes nuclear medicine uniquely valuable for diagnosing various cardiac conditions.

While other modalities like CT scans can provide anatomical details and ultrasound can assess functionality such as wall motion, they do not specifically target cardiac perfusion assessment in the same way. X-rays primarily provide skeletal images and do not evaluate soft tissue perfusion or blood flow. Thus, nuclear medicine stands out as the preferred choice for evaluating cardiac perfusion.