What can cause an abnormal nuclear stress test?
Abnormal results may be due to: Reduced blood flow to a part of the heart. The most likely cause is a narrowing or blockage of one or more of the arteries that supply your heart muscle. Scarring of the heart muscle due to a previous heart attack.
What is the indication for a myocardial perfusion scan?
Your doctor may order a stress myocardial perfusion scan for: Chest pain, either new onset or occurring over a period of days or longer. To diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the narrowing of the coronary arteries. After a heart attack (myocardial infarction, or MI) to assess heart muscle damage.
What is a positive myocardial perfusion scan?
Myocardial perfusion is an imaging test. It’s also called a nuclear stress test. It is done to show how well blood flows through the heart muscle. It also shows how well the heart muscle is pumping. For example, after a heart attack, it may be done to find areas of damaged heart muscle.
What does negative myocardial perfusion mean?
A negative scan means there is no underlying hinderance to the blood flow to the heart muscle, whereas a positive scan suggests that the heart muscle is not getting adequate blood supply.
What does it mean if you fail a stress test?
Stress test results You do not have significant coronary artery disease (70% or greater artery blockage). You could still have a heart attack if a smaller blockage (less than 70%) ruptures and forms a clot. Your doctor may want to do further testing if you have other risk factors for heart disease that raise concern.
What is the next step after positive stress test?
If your stress test results suggest that you might have coronary artery disease or show an arrhythmia, your doctor will use the information to develop a treatment plan. You may need additional tests, such as a coronary angiogram.
Does an abnormal stress test mean blockage?
What does an abnormal nuclear stress test mean? An abnormal stress test usually means that you have blockage in heart arteries. A nuclear stress test result should be interpreted in the light of a person’s symptoms, his risk for coronary artery disease etc.
What does a perfusion defect mean?
Fourth, myocardial perfusion defects (F2, F3)—regions in the LV myocardium in which blood flow has been obstructed—are detected qualitatively and semiquantitatively. Perfusion defects are apparent qualitatively as gray-black blotches pervading the LV myocardium (F2, F3).
What is a reversible perfusion abnormality?
Stress-induced perfusion abnormalities in regions that exhibit normal perfusion at rest are termed reversible perfusion defects, and such regions represent viable, ischemic tissue with blunted coronary blood flow reserve.
What is a fixed perfusion abnormality?
On the other hand, perfusion abnormalities that are seen both on stress and rest myocardial perfusion images, are termed fixed or irreversible defects, which most often suggests an area of prior myocardial infarction, particularly if the defect is severe (with the exception of hibernation or repetitive stunning).
Which three items should be described for myocardial perfusion defects?
True myocardial perfusion defect should be described with reference to (1) the defect size or extent (small, medium and large), (2) severity of perfusion defect (mild, moderate,and severe), (3) extent of reversibility (reversible, irreversible or reverse redistribution) and (4) location (based on 17 segment model and …