Diastolic function with 16-phase gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.

Diastolic dysfunction is commonly associated with heart failure with preserved systolic function. Diastolic abnormality includes progressively impaired left ventricle (LV) relaxation, followed by pseudonormal mitral inflow pattern with Valsalva enhancement, and finally restrictive LV filling. Diastolic dysfunction may lead to left atrial dilatation with consequent atrial fibrillation. Gated myocardial perfusion SPECT evaluates systolic function with LV volumes and ejection fraction, but its ability to identify diastolic dysfunction is not typically considered. We correlate 16-phase gated SPECT time-volume curves with echo Doppler early/late diastolic flow ratios for diastolic dysfunction.