Technical Advances in Hybrid Cardiac Imaging: Potential Applications in Heart Failure

Hybrid molecular imaging has changed diagnostic medical imaging over the past fifteen years. The ability to combine anatomic and functional modalities in a single exam has opened new perspectives in personalized diagnosis and therapy. Although the first applications were focused in oncological and brain domains, hybrid cardiac imaging gains continuous interest due to the advantages that multimodal techniques offer, in terms of improved technical performance and diagnostic value. This chapter reviews the role of the well-established SPECT/CT and PET/CT in heart failure, as well as the potential of the rapidly evolving PET/MRI and the promising, yet only experimental, SPECT/MRI. To better understand the value of these hybrid technologies compared to the standard nuclear medicine (SPECT and PET), emphasis is given on the opportunities that the combination of anatomical and functional information can offer, in terms of image corrections and quantification, so that the reader can understand not only the added value of the current applications, but also envisage new, future possibilities.

Keywords: Attenuation correction, Bimodal agents, Computed tomography, Coronary artery disease, Functional imaging, Heart failure, Hybrid imaging, Magnetic resonance imaging, Motion correction, Multimodal imaging, Single photon emission tomography.