Recent advances in cardiac positron emission tomography for quantitative perfusion analyses and molecular imaging.

Positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to noninvasively evaluate myocardial perfusion and metabolism. For clinical assessments of myocardial perfusion, the quantitative capability of PET permits precise assessments of ischemia and microcirculatory dysfunction, playing an important role in patient management and outcome analyses. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET has recently been used to identify active cardiovascular lesions such as cardiac sarcoidosis, endocarditis, and aortitis. This may hold promise for the early and accurate diagnosis of such fatal diseases, as well as for patient management. This review covers new and clinical roles of cardiac PET in treatment strategies and patient outcomes.