A patient with unstable angina is admitted and will undergo myocardial perfusion imaging. Which of the following will indicate abnormal test results?

A patient with unstable angina is admitted and will undergo myocardial perfusion imaging. Which of the following will indicate abnormal test results?

• A. Normal uptake
• B. Poor uptake of isotope
• C. Rapid uptake
• D. Uniform distribution

Answer: (B)

Myocardial perfusion imaging detects regional blood flow by looking at how much radiotracer the heart muscle takes up. In a normal study, uptake is uniform across viable myocardium, reflecting adequate blood flow. When perfusion is reduced due to ischemia or infarction, the affected regions take up less tracer, producing cold spots. That reduced uptake is what signals an abnormal test. Normal uptake, rapid uptake, or uniform distribution would not indicate an abnormal perfusion deficit.

Myocardial perfusion imaging detects regional blood flow by looking at how much radiotracer the heart muscle takes up. In a normal study, uptake is uniform across viable myocardium, reflecting adequate blood flow. When perfusion is reduced due to ischemia or infarction, the affected regions take up less tracer, producing cold spots. That reduced uptake is what signals an abnormal test. Normal uptake, rapid uptake, or uniform distribution would not indicate an abnormal perfusion deficit.