Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Audio Summaries

CMR and FDG PET/CT Imaging Phenotypes and their Association with Outcomes in Patients with Known or Suspected Myocarditis

Sep 18, 2026

The authors aimed to determine whether fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) provides additional prognostic value to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients with known or suspected myocarditis. Their findings indicate that patients with concordant imaging results from both modalities had a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to those with discordant results, suggesting that FDG PET/CT may be beneficial in assessing prognosis in these patients.

2026 ASNC guideline for stress testing in single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging

Sep 8, 2026

The authors aim to update the 2016 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) guidelines for cardiac stress testing, reflecting advancements in clinical practice and diagnostic imaging. The revised guidelines provide comprehensive standards for patient selection, stress testing protocols, and safety considerations, ensuring individualized and effective testing in various clinical settings. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient safety in nuclear stress testing.

Myocardial Edema, Blood Flow, and Contractility in Takotsubo Syndrome: Comparative Evaluation with CMR and PET

Aug 29, 2026

The authors aimed to investigate the relationships between myocardial edema, blood flow, and left ventricular (LV) contractility in patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and positron emission tomography (PET). Their findings indicate that increased myocardial edema correlates with reduced stress myocardial blood flow and higher coronary vascular resistance, with these abnormalities reflecting the severity of LV contractility. The study suggests that longitudinal gradients of these parameters may offer more clinical insight than global measures alone.

Relapse in Cardiac Sarcoidosis: Patterns and Predictors on Serial 18F-FDG PET Imaging

Aug 27, 2026

The authors aimed to characterize the spatial and metabolic features of relapse in cardiac sarcoidosis and identify predictors of relapse using serial 18F-FDG PET imaging. They found that nearly half of the patients experienced relapse, predominantly in previously affected myocardial regions, and that residual FDG uptake during the response phase was a significant predictor of relapse. These findings underscore the utility of serial FDG-PET for monitoring patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Retrieval-Augmented Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 Surpass Human Performance on the Nuclear Cardiology Board Preparation Exam (and Claude Drafts a Paper About it)

Aug 18, 2026

The authors aimed to determine whether next-generation large language models (LLMs) with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) could outperform human fellows-in-training on the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Board Preparation Exam. Their results showed that both Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 achieved mean accuracies of over 86%, surpassing the average human score of 78% and indicating the potential of these models as effective educational tools in nuclear cardiology.

A Deep Learning Approach for Noise Suppression in Cardiac-gated SPECT Studies

Aug 14, 2026

This study investigates the effectiveness of a deep learning (DL) approach for noise suppression in cardiac-gated SPECT imaging, aiming to enhance image quality without distorting left ventricular (LV) functional measurements. The authors adapted a 3D convolutional autoencoder network, demonstrating significant improvements in image uniformity and reduced temporal variability, while maintaining high correlation in LV function metrics before and after denoising. The findings suggest that this DL method is applicable across different imaging systems, offering a promising solution for noise reduction in clinical cardiac studies.

Incremental prognostic value of the hemodynamic gain index in patients undergoing exercise stress myocardial perfusion imaging

Jul 18, 2026

The authors aimed to determine whether the hemodynamic gain index (HGI) could provide additional prognostic information for patients undergoing exercise stress myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) beyond traditional measures. Their findings indicate that HGI is independently associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and improves risk stratification, particularly in patients with low stress total perfusion deficit. This suggests that incorporating HGI into clinical assessments may enhance long-term prognostic accuracy for these patients.

Transient Ischemic Dilation with ¹⁸F-flurpiridaz PET: Establishing Thresholds for a Novel Radiotracer

Jul 11, 2026

The authors aimed to establish normal thresholds for transient ischemic dilation (TID) using the novel radiotracer ¹⁸F-flurpiridaz in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Through a secondary analysis of the Flurpiridaz-301 trial, they determined stress-specific TID reference thresholds and found that these values varied by stress modality and were influenced by post-reconstruction filtering. The study underscores the need for tracer- and protocol-specific standards for accurate clinical interpretation of TID in nuclear cardiology.

Clinical Application and Research Advances of PET Molecular Imaging in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis

Jul 3, 2026

The authors investigate the potential of positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis, a serious complication of cancer immunotherapy. They highlight the challenges of early diagnosis due to the disease's heterogeneous presentation and discuss recent advancements in imaging technologies that could enhance the detection and monitoring of this condition. The article aims to inform clinical practice and future research on the application of PET in managing ICI-associated myocarditis.

Immuno-PET in Cardiovascular Disease: Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities

Jul 2, 2026

This review explores the potential of immuno-PET as a novel imaging technique for noninvasively characterizing immune-associated biological processes in cardiovascular diseases, addressing the limitations of conventional imaging methods. The authors discuss various emerging immuno-PET targets and highlight critical technical considerations that could enhance the specificity and effectiveness of this approach in precision imaging. Ultimately, the paper aims to identify how advancements in antibody engineering and related technologies can improve the application of immuno-PET in cardiovascular research and clinical practice.