Normal and abnormal rest myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome

Examples of normal (Panel A) and an abnormal (Panel B) rest myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes. In both panels, two contiguous tomograms are displayed in the short-axis (SA), horizontal long-axis (HLA), and vertical long-axis (VLA) orientations. The study in Panel A shows normal homogeneous uptake of the perfusion tracer in all walls consistent with normal resting myocardial blood flow. The likelihood of an ACS is very low. In Panel B, there is a resting perfusion defect in the distal portion of the anterior wall (arrow) and the apex (arrowhead). These findings are consistent with a resting blood flow abnormality and an ACS, likely due to severe stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery.