Myocardial perfusion PET/CT to evaluate known and suspected coronary artery disease

This review argues for hybrid PET/CT as a one-stop cardiac assessment — combining a functional map of blood flow with anatomic imaging of the coronary arteries.

The authors document PET/CT’s high sensitivity and specificity for coronary disease and its prognostic value beyond clinical risk models, achieved with relatively low radiation. The recurring strength is integration: perfusion and anatomy in a single study, sharpening both diagnosis and risk stratification in suspected or known disease.

The practical takeaway is that hybrid PET/CT offers an unusually complete picture where it’s available; the resistance is competitive, from centers invested in lower-resolution SPECT.

We rate the evidence moderate: a 55-reference synthesis of existing literature, no original data, no disclosed conflicts. Its clinical significance is moderate — real diagnostic and prognostic advantages, capped by scanner availability and cost.

(Note: this is the same underlying paper as the entry filed under “Di Carli and Murthy, 2011” in our library — it appears under two short citations. Both are kept for completeness; one could be retired.)