Ernest Garcia, Ph.D., MASNC, FAHA, endowed professor in cardiac imaging, director of nuclear...
PET-CT
PET-CT combines positron emission tomography (PET) detectors and computed tomography (CT) into one imaging system. PET requires the use of CT for image attenuation correction. The CT scanners that can be installed on these systems include 4-slice, up to workhorse 64-slice or higher systems. High slice CT is usually an option picked by hospitals that plan to use the PET-CT scanner for standard CT only imaging exams as well. The CT scan anatomical imaging can be fused with the nuclear PET imaging to show anatomical landmarks. The CT component can also be used in cardiac PET to perform a coronary calcium scoring exam to offer a risk assessment for future heart attack risk.

This is 4MD’s cardiac nuclear imaging analysis software, shown here integrated with a ScImage cardiovascular information system (CVIS). Both companies displayed on the expo floor at ASNC 2019. The software creates a single page report seen here. PET perfusion imaging was a big topic at the conference.

Rupa Sanghani, M.D., FASNC, associate professor, Rush Medical College, director of nuclear cardiology and stress laboratory, Rush University Medical Center, and associate director, Rush Heart Center for Women, explains how to create a high-volume cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) imaging program. She spoke on this topic at the 2019 meeting of the American Society Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) and led a tour with attendees of the PET-CT system at Rush, which was located close to the conference. #ASNC

A comparison of the first-ever image of a black hole released this week by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration et al. and a cardiac nuclear imaging exam. Left is the black hole, and right is a similar nuclear imaging exam of the heart showing a similar ischemic perfusion defect to the black hole.