Is a cardiac CT scan the same as an angiogram?

A coronary CT angiogram is different from a standard coronary angiogram. In the traditional procedure (non- CT angiogram), a flexible tube (catheter) is threaded through your groin or arm to your heart or coronary arteries.

Can a PET scan detect blocked arteries?

The test is most often used to diagnose heart conditions such as coronary artery disease (CAD). The results allow doctors to see 1) if there is any significant blockage of the coronary artery by performing a stress (perfusion) test, and 2) the degree of heart damage, if any, after a heart attack.

Why would a cardiologist order a PET scan?

A heart PET scan can detect whether areas of your heart muscle are receiving enough blood, if there is heart damage or scar tissue in the heart, or if there is a buildup of abnormal substances in the heart muscle.

Is a cardiac PET scan safe?

The risks of a heart PET scan While the scan does use radioactive tracers, your exposure is minimal. According to the American College of Radiology Imaging Network, the exposure level is too low to affect the normal processes of your body and is not regarded as a major risk.

What happens during a heart PET scan?

A PET study is a test used to check blood flow to your heart. During the test, a small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a vein. The tracer is not a dye or contrast. A special camera, called a PET scanner, detects the radiation released by the tracer and creates computer images of your heart.

Is there an alternative to an angiogram?

CCTA is not invasive. An alternative test, cardiac catheterization with a coronary angiogram, is invasive, has more complications related to the placement of a long catheter into the groin or wrist arteries extending all the way to the heart, and the movement of the catheter in the blood vessels.

Is CT angiogram different than angiogram?

A CT angiogram is a less invasive test than a standard angiogram. A standard angiogram involves threading a thin tube called a catheter through an artery in your arm or leg up to the area being studied. But with a CT angiogram, no tubes are put in your body.

What information does a PET scan reveal?

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is an imaging test that can help reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of your tissues and organs. The PET scan uses a radioactive drug (tracer) to show both normal and abnormal metabolic activity.

How accurate is a PET scan of the heart?

A PET scan is a very accurate way to diagnose coronary artery disease and detect areas of low blood flow in the heart.

What is the difference between a CT angiogram and cardiac catheterization?

Both tests are good: Both tests are excellent tests to detect artery blockages. Ct angiogram has the advantage of being a non invasive test and can be performed in a clinic. Cardiac catheterization (angiography) is considered the gold standard for the detection of artery blockages. The test is performed at a hospital and is mildly invasive.

What does a PET scan show on a chest xray?

Quick facts PET scans use radioactive material called tracers. A special “gamma” detector that circles the chest picks up signals from the tracer. A PET scan shows if your heart is getting enough blood or if blood flow is reduced because of narrowed arteries.

How accurate is pet for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia?

This controlled clinical head-to-head comparative study revealed PET to exhibit the highest accuracy for diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. Furthermore, a combined anatomical and functional assessment does not add incremental diagnostic value but guides clinical decision-making in an unsalutary fashi …