Nuclear Cardiology Basic and Advanced Concepts in Clinical Practice

This book covers relevant concepts in nuclear cardiology, combining imaging techniques and clinical data to do so. Today, nuclear cardiology is a worldwide discipline connected to the broader field of cardiovascular imaging. The combination of clinical aspects (symptoms, medications, previous cardiac procedures), ancillary exams and nuclear images is key to decision-making in clinical practice. Thus, a book on this topic is essential to provide better outcomes for cardiology patients.

The chapters cover a comprehensive range of topics in current cardiology practice, such as ambulatory patients, patients in emergency settings, patients after complex cardiac procedures, and patients during and after the use of cancer therapies that are potentially toxic for the heart (cardio-oncology). As such, multiple clinical scenarios are also presented: patients with suspected coronary disease, patients with heart failure of unknown origin, patients with acute chest pain in the emergencydepartment, patients with suspected pulmonary embolism, patients with complications of the left ventricular assist device, etc. Furthermore, the book describes nuclear cardiology procedures and techniques, discusses the main clinical indications and scenarios for each procedure, presents new technological advances in the field (machine learning and artificial intelligence tools), and mentions the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Given its scope, the book offers a valuable guide and videos for various medical professionals, especially cardiologists and nuclear physicians.

Nuclear Medicine Radiotracers in Cardiology.- Cardiac PET Procedure.- Cardiac SPECT Procedure.- Quantification of Ischemia and Myocardial Blood Flow.- Cardiac PET/MRI – MRI Techniques Applied to Cardiac PET.- Non-nuclear Cardiac Imaging Modalities: Echocardiography, CT, MRI and Invasive Coronary Angiography.- Coronary Physiology – From Tracer Kinetics to Invasive FFR and iFR.- Myocardial Metabolism and Ventricular Function.- Coronary Blood Flow and Myocardial Ischemia.- Molecular Imaging in Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease.- PET and SPECT in Stable Ischemic Coronary Disease.- PET and SPECT in Acute Coronary Syndromes.- Nuclear Techniques after Coronary Revascularization.- Physiologic or Anatomic Assessment of CAD: Patient-centered Approach.- Microvascular Coronary Disease.- Pathophysiology of Heart Failure.- PET and SPECT in the Evaluation of Viable Myocardium.- Bone Tracers for the Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis.- Adrenergic Nervous System Imaging in HF Management.- Tako Tsubo Cardiomyopathy and Nuclear Imaging.- PET and SPECT in Systemic Inflammatory Diseases – Sarcoidosis.- PET and SPECT in Myocarditis and Vasculitis of Large Vessels.- Evaluation of Complications of Circulatory Assist Devices.- Sudden Cardiac Death: Pathophysiology and Clinical Aspects.- 123I-MIBG in the Risk Stratification of Sudden Cardiac Death.- Nuclear Imaging Guiding Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.- PET and SPECT in Infective Endocarditis.- PET and SPECT in Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices Infections.- The Clinical Basis of Heart Damage by Chemo and Radiotherapy.- Nuclear Medicine Tools for Cardiac Damage Diagnosis in Oncology.- Chest Pain Evaluation – Diagnosis and Risk Stratification.- Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism.- Nuclear Medicine in Tako Tsubo Cardiomyopathy.- Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear Cardiology.

Claudio Tinoco Mesquita is a Professor at the Radiology Department and Head of the Nuclear Medicine Section at the Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is also a Coordinator of the Post-Graduate Program in Cardiovascular Sciences at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences, a Consultant of Nuclear Medicine at Pró-Cardíaco Hospital and Hospital Vitória, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, European Association of Nuclear Medicine and American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. A past President of the Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine (2015-2016), he completed his medical degree at the Universidade Federal Fluminense (1994), a Master’s degree in Medicine (Cardiology) at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1999), and a PhD in Radiology at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2002).

Maria Fernanda Rezende is Coordinator of the Nuclear Medicine Section at Hospital Vitória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She completed her medical degree at Unifenas, Alfenas (2011) and a Master’s degree in Medicine (Cardiology) at the Universidade Federal Fluminense (2015). She is also a Member of the Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine.