Module 05a. Cardiovascular PET Tracers - Part a-Cardiovascular PET Tracers (Presentation)

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The presentation by Aldo Escanone discussed the basics of cardiovascular PET tracers with a focus on rubidium, ammonia, water, and floropiridaz. Each tracer has unique characteristics affecting its performance in myocardial perfusion imaging. Rubidium has a short half-life, making it suitable for pharmacological stress testing, but with some limitations in spatial resolution and contrast. Ammonia allows for exercise stress testing due to its longer half-life, showing better spatial resolution and contrast resolution compared to rubidium. Water has the shortest half-life, making it ideal for quantitation of flow but not for static imaging due to poor retention. Floropiridaz, although not FDA approved yet, shows promising characteristics with a longer half-life, high extraction and retention fraction, excellent resolution, and minimal role of phenomenon. The strengths and weaknesses of each tracer were discussed, highlighting the importance of choosing the appropriate tracer based on the specific needs of the patient and the imaging objectives. The presentation also emphasized the significance of accurate arterial input function, the challenges associated with each tracer, and the potential of mini-cyclotrons to enhance tracer availability. Overall, the discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the role of PET tracers in myocardial perfusion imaging, showcasing their impact on image quality, quantitation of flow, and diagnostic accuracy in detecting obstructive coronary artery disease.

Keywords

cardiovascular PET tracers

rubidium

ammonia

water

floropiridaz

myocardial perfusion imaging

pharmacological stress testing

exercise stress testing

arterial input function

mini-cyclotrons