Cardiac PET & PET/CT

PET has better spatial resolution than SPECT Theoretical tomographic in-plane spatial resolution of PET is 2 to 4 mm, as compared with 6 to 8 mm for TC-99m SPECT.

• Improved efficiency¹
  (complete study takes approximately 35 min vs. 3.5hrs)
• Improved resolution¹
  (imaging with 511 kev vs. 140 kev)
• Fewer attenuation artifacts¹
• Greater sensitivity and specificity
  (fewer false positives and false negative results)
• Increased detection of patients with triple vessel disease
• Shorter half life of isotope (75 seconds vs. 6 hrs)
• Lower radiation exposure¹
  (0.26 rem vs. 1.44 rem per Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education)

• Stress method (pharmacologic vs. treadmill)
• Radiopharmaceutical availability
  (generator comes with coach vs. delivery of unit doses)
• Now reimbursed for similar ICD-9 codes as general MPI studies with approximately double the reimbursement (reimbursement varies depending on region: CPT codes used 78492, A9555 (x2/patient), 78499 or (78478 & 78480), 93015)

1. Bateman TM. PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging: Making the Transition to a Clinical Routine. Appl Imaging: Applications Nucl Cardiol. 2002; 3(1):1-6