This large-scale study analyzes factors affecting the diagnostic accuracy of low-dose myocardial perfusion imaging and correlation with coronary angiography in a real-world practice.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disorder characterized by non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis affecting multiple organs, notably the lungs and lymph nodes. Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), a subset of the disease predominantly involving the heart, significantly heightens the associated morbidity and mortality of sarcoidosis. Early detection of CS is crucial for optimal management. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) has emerged as an important diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring tool for CS. Guidelines emphasize a combined approach of visual interpretation and adjunctive quantitative metrics to enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment monitoring. Various quantitative parameters including maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), coefficient of variation, and texture analysis show promise as auxiliary tools diagnosing and prognosticating CS. However, standardization and validation of these quantitative methods remain challenging due to inter-center variability and technological differences. Further validation through large-scale, multi-center studies is needed to optimize their use and better delineate their role in CS diagnosis, prognostication, and therapy monitoring.

The pathophysiology of symptoms and reduced exercise capacity from peripheral artery disease (PAD) remains unclear. Additionally, there is limited information, on blood flow and skeletal muscle energetics after walking exercise in patients with claudication in comparison to healthy individuals.

Fibrosis is one of the key healing responses to injury, especially within the heart where it helps to maintain structural integrity following acute insults such as myocardial infarction. However, if it becomes dysregulated then fibrosis can become maladaptive leading to adverse remodelling, impaired cardiac function and heart failure. Fibroblast activation protein is exclusively expressed by activated fibroblasts, the key effector cells of fibrogenesis, and has a unique extracellular domain that is an ideal ligand for novel molecular imaging probes. Fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) radiotracers have been developed for PET imaging, demonstrating high selectivity for activated fibroblasts across a range of different pathologies and disparate organ systems. In this review, we will summarize the role of fibroblast activation protein in cardiovascular disease and how FAPI radiotracers might improve the assessment and treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Previous studies evaluated the ability of large language models (LLMs) in medical disciplines; however, few have focused on image analysis, and none specifically on cardiovascular imaging or nuclear cardiology. This study assesses four LLMs-GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4omni (GPT-4o) (Open AI), and Gemini (Google Inc.)-in responding to questions from the 2023 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Board Preparation Exam, reflecting the scope of the Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology (CBNC) examination.