Evaluation of ventricular ejection fraction, wall motion, wall thickening, and other parameters with gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography.

Assessment of ventricular function (e.g., ejection fraction, wall motion, wall thickening) during myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can serve as a cost-effective technique to provide more diagnostic data with fewer diagnostic tests. With the advent of 99mTc-labeled perfusion agents and advances in technology, myocardial perfusion studies can be augmented on a routine basis to provide additional diagnostic information on ventricular function by use of one gated SPECT acquisition. This technique has the potential to reduce health-care costs by reducing the number of unnecessary coronary angiographies that are now performed on patients with equivocal results of perfusion or incomplete risk stratification from standard myocardial perfusion SPECT.