SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
SPECT myocardial perfusion scan (MPI) is a nuclear cardiology procedure that highlights the function of a patient’s heart muscle. MPI is useful for diagnosing a variety of heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart wall motion abnormalities. Images are usually acquired at both Stress and Rest allowing physicians to evaluate heart muscle perfusion to determine normalcy, ischemic, or infarcted areas.
Healthy Artery
When a coronary artery is healthy and has no blockages, blood flows through easily. Healthy arteries can easily supply the oxygen-rich blood your heart needs.
Narrowed Artery
As more plaque builds up, your artery has trouble suppling blood to your heart muscle when it needs it most, such as during exercise. You may not feel any symptoms when this happens. Or may feel angina- pressure, tightness, achiness or pain in your chest, jaw, neck, back, or arm.
Damaged Artery
Coronary artery disease begins when damage causes plaque (a fatty substance) to build up within the artery wall. This damage could be caused by things like high blood pressure or smoking. This plaque buildup, called atherosclerosis, begins to narrow the arteries carrying blood to the heart.
Blocked Artery
Plaque may tear, completely blocking the artery. Or a blood clot may plug the narrowed opening. When this happens, blood flow stops. Without oxygen rich blood, part of the heart muscle becomes damaged and stops working. You ay feel crushing pressure or pain in or around your chest. This is a heart attack (myocardial infraction).