Performing any diagnostic test in medicine is always a matter of trying to get the condition of the patient diagnosed properly with the least effort, exposure, discomfort and at the same time with the lowest possible error probability. Pre-test probability is helpful but often imprecise, effectively overestimating the patient's risk profile. In a broader prevention objective, the phases of a disease, its onset, progression, and complications must be taken into account. The negative predictive value, which is so important, has in turn its main limitation in identifying the healthy patient, that is, the one who does not belong to any cluster of patients in which we would act in terms of prevention. In coronary syndromes, the goal is instead to evaluate coronary heart disease, from mild to more extensive and significant forms. For this purpose, it is necessary to use parameters that investigate different and complementary aspects: stenosis, ischemia, the morphology of the atherosclerotic plaque, metabolic processes, in particular vitality and apoptosis, the presence of inflammatory processes. The possibility, already present thanks to Hybrid Imaging, of 'joining’ exams that study different aspects, will allow the patient to be increasingly characterized not only from a diagnostic point of view but also from a prognostic and personalized therapeutic choice.

This clinically oriented book provides an up-to-date review on the various hybrid imaging modalities that may be employed for the purpose of cardiac imaging. After discussion of generic aspects of hybrid imaging, SPECT/CT, PET/CT, and PET/MRI are each considered in depth. In addition, information is provided on upcoming technologies, such as dedicated so-called fast cardiac cameras (CZT detector technology) and novel probes and radiotracers. A wide variety of topics are addressed, including important technological aspects, possible applications, imaging protocols, peculiarities of the available modalities, radiation exposure, and dose reduction. Last but not least, an estimation of the cost efficiency of dedicated and hybrid imaging devices in cardiology is provided and possible scenarios with respect to health care economics are envisioned. Hybrid Cardiac Imaging will be of particular value for nuclear medicine specialists, cardiologists, and radiologists and will also be of interest to medical physicists, medical technicians, and cardiothoracic surgeons.

This book highlights the use of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) for healthcare problems, in order to improve trustworthiness, performance and sustainability levels in the context of applications. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) in Healthcare adopts the understanding that AI solutions should not only have high accuracy performance, but also be transparent, understandable and reliable from the end user's perspective. The book discusses the techniques, frameworks, and tools to effectively implement XAI methodologies in critical problems of healthcare field. The authors offer different types of solutions, evaluation methods and metrics for XAI and reveal how the concept of explainability finds a response in target problem coverage. The authors examine the use of XAI in disease diagnosis, medical imaging, health tourism, precision medicine and even drug discovery. They also point out the importance of user perspectives and value of the data used in target problems. Finally, the authors also ensure a well-defined future perspective for advancing XAI in terms of healthcare. This book will offer great benefits to students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and researchers. The book will also be useful for industry professionals and clinicians who perform critical decision-making tasks.

Clinical Nuclear Cardiology—now in its fourth edition—covers the tremendous clinical growth in this field, focusing on new instrumentation and techniques. Drs. Barry L. Zaret and George A Beller address the latest developments in technology, radiopharmaceuticals, molecular imaging, and perfusion imaging. Thoroughly revised to include 20 new chapters—Digital/Fast SPECT, Imaging in Revascularized Patients, and more—this new edition provides state-of-the-art guidance on key areas and hot topics with stunning visuals. Online access to the fully searchable text at expertconsult.com includes highly illustrated case studies that let you see the problem using a variety of imaging modalities. In other words, this is an invaluable resource no clinician or researcher in nuclear cardiology should be without. - Features an editorial and contributing team of worldwide leaders in nuclear cardiology to provide you with current and authoritative guidance. - Includes a section focusing on acute coronary syndromes to provide you with practical management tools for these conditions. - Presents a full-color design that allows color images to be integrated throughout the text. - Includes access to the fully searchable contents of the book online at expertconsult.com, along with highly illustrated case studies that let you see the problem using a variety of imaging modalities. - Features 20 new chapters including Cellular Mechanisms of Tracer Uptake and Clearance; Attenuation/Scatter Corrections: Clinical Aspects; Hybrid Imaging; Digital/Fast SPECT; Imaging in Revascularized Patients; and more. - Focuses on perfusion imaging in a section dedicated to this hot topic so you get all the information you need to stay current.

This book is a comprehensive guide providing cardiologists with the latest information and developments in the field of diagnostic and prognostic cardiac imaging. Divided into two sections, the first part of the book examines cardiac imaging, and is further divided into non-invasive and invasive techniques. The second section discusses clinical cardiology and is further divided into emerging therapies and the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease. The book is enhanced by nearly 150 clinical photographs, diagrams and tables to assist learning. Key points Comprehensive guide to latest developments in diagnostic and prognostic cardiac imaging Section one covers non-invasive and invasive imaging techniques Section two discusses emerging therapies in clinical cardiology and management of coronary artery disease Highly illustrated with nearly 150 images, diagrams and tables

This clinically oriented book provides an up-to-date review on the various hybrid imaging modalities that may be employed for the purpose of cardiac imaging. After discussion of generic aspects of hybrid imaging, SPECT/CT, PET/CT, and PET/MRI are each considered in depth. In addition, information is provided on upcoming technologies, such as dedicated so-called fast cardiac cameras (CZT detector technology) and novel probes and radiotracers. A wide variety of topics are addressed, including important technological aspects, possible applications, imaging protocols, peculiarities of the available modalities, radiation exposure, and dose reduction. Last but not least, an estimation of the cost efficiency of dedicated and hybrid imaging devices in cardiology is provided and possible scenarios with respect to health care economics are envisioned. Hybrid Cardiac Imaging will be of particular value for nuclear medicine specialists, cardiologists, and radiologists and will also be of interest to medical physicists, medical technicians, and cardiothoracic surgeons. .

This comprehensive book focuses on multimodality imaging technology, including overviews of the instruments and methods followed by practical case studies that highlight use in the detection and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Chapters cover PET-CT, SPECT-CT, SPECT-MRI, PET-MRI, PET-optical imaging, SPECT-optical imaging, photoacoustic Imaging, and hybrid intravascular imaging. It also addresses the important issues of multimodality imaging probes and image quantification. Readers from radiology and cardiology as well as medical imaging and biomedical engineering will learn essentials of the field. They will be shown how the field has advanced quantitative analysis of molecularly targeted imaging through improvements in the reliability and reproducibility of imaging data. Moreover, they will be presented with quantification algorithms and case illustrations, including coverage of such topics such as multimodality image fusion and kinetic modeling. Yi-Hwa Liu, PhD is Senior Research Scientist in Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and Technical Director of Nuclear Cardiology at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is also an Associate Professor (Adjunct) of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences at National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, and Professor (Adjunct) of Biomedical Engineering at Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. He is an elected senior member of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a full member of Sigma Xi of The Scientific Research Society of North America. Albert J. Sinusas, M.D., FACC, FAHA is Professor of Medicine (Section of Cardiovascular Medicine) and Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, at Yale University School of Medicine, and Director of the Yale Translational Research Imaging Center (Y-TRIC), and Director of Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is a recipient of the Society of Nuclear Medicine’s Hermann Blumgart Award.

This book is focused on the use of non-invasive imaging in clinical cardiology. Its central theme is the use of different imaging modalities in the routine clinical problems that physicians encounter on a regular basis. Many different clinical issues are discussed, including valvular disease, coronary artery disease, and myocardial and pericardial disease. In these various pathologies, the applications of echocardiography, nuclear imaging, CMR and MSCT are highlighted. The majority of chapters are illustrated with a clinical case study and with moving images, which are contained on the accompanying CD. These case studies offer excellent examples of how to use the imaging modalities in clinical cardiology. Contributors are from Europe, the US and Asia to provide a global perspective. The ESC Education Series This book with its supporting CD is part of the ESC Education Series. The series is designed to provide medical professionals with the latest information about the understanding, diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. Where available, management recommendations are based on the established European Guidelines, which encompass the best techniques to use with each cardiac disease. Throughout the series, the leading international opinion leaders have been chosen to edit and contribute to the books. The information is presented in a succinct and accessible format with a clinical focus.

This latest edition of NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY provides up-to-the-minute information on current and future uses of radionuclides in imaging diagnosis of the heart. Thoroughly revised and updated, it contains practical information on radiopharmaceuticals, tracer kinetics, instrumentation, ventricular function, perfusion, acute ischemic syndrome, viability, and metabolic images, as well as a discussion of the role of nuclear cardiology in a changing health care system. Practitioners in nuclear medicine, radiology, and cardiology will benefit from having current information on a wide range of topics in one focused reference. Provides highly detailed and comprehensive information in one convenient resource Includes more than 600 images and illustrations to aid comprehension Incorporates the knowledge of internationally recognized authors who are experts in the field Discusses a broad spectrum of nuclear cardiology applications to help you gain a better perspective on contemporary cardiac nuclear medicine

Nuclear Cardiac Imaging is the definitive resource for nuclear cardiologists and nuclear clinicians on the technical, physiological, diagnostic, and prognostic considerations of cardiac diagnostic techniques performed with the aid of radiopharmaceuticals. New to the sixth edition are additional updated chapters and a Companion Atlas featuring case studies and multiple-choice quizzes that offer readers extra review.