[Cardiac hybrid imaging].

CT coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy are both established noninvasive techniques for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Cardiac hybrid imaging consists of the combination (or fusion) of both modalities and allows obtaining complementary morphological (coronary anatomy, stenoses) and functional (myocardial perfusion) information in a single image. The increased availability of these techniques in clinical practice has also raised a controversy with regard to which patients should undergo such integrated examinations. The feasibility and clinical value of hybrid imaging has been documented in small cohort studies and selected series of patients. The incremental value of the hybrid technique arises from the spatial co-registration of perfusion defects with coronary stenoses. This allows an assessment of the hemodynamic relevance of coronary stenoses and the determination of the need for revascularization procedures in each individual artery. Thus, it can be anticipated that the ongoing efforts to reduce radiation exposure and the increasing clinical interest will further pave the way for an ever-increasing use of cardiac hybrid imaging in clinical practice.