Dual imaging in acute myocardial infarction

Acute myocardial infarction can be visualized by accumulation of radionuclides in the myocardium in two general ways. On one hand, the radionuclide may be concentrated maximally in the normal myocardium and almost absent in the region of the infarction. Thallium-201 is such an imaging agent and the zone of infarction is demonstrated as a ''cold spot''. Alternatively, the radioactive tracer may be maximally accumulated in the infarcted region. As described in the previous chapters, sup(99m)Tc-pyrophosphate is a prototype of imaging agents that displays the region of infarction as a ''hot spot''. In the present chapter, the clinical application of combined imaging with both radiopharmaceuticals is discussed. (Auth.)