As a 2-year project of the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine working group activity, normal myocardial imaging databases were accumulated and summarized. Stress-rest with gated and non-gated image sets were accumulated for myocardial perfusion imaging and could be used for perfusion defect scoring and normal left ventricular (LV) function analysis. For single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with multi-focal collimator design, databases of supine and prone positions and computed tomography (CT)-based attenuation correction were created. The CT-based correction provided similar perfusion patterns between genders. In phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT, a new approach for analyzing dyssynchrony, normal ranges of parameters for phase bandwidth, standard deviation and entropy were determined in four software programs. Although the results were not interchangeable, dependency on gender, ejection fraction and volumes were common characteristics of these parameters. Standardization of 123I-MIBG sympathetic imaging was performed regarding heart-to-mediastinum ratio (HMR) using a calibration phantom method. The HMRs from any collimator types could be converted to the value with medium-energy comparable collimators. Appropriate quantification based on common normal databases and standard technology could play a pivotal role for clinical practice and researches.

PurposeArtificial neural networks (ANN) might help to diagnose coronary artery disease. This study aimed to determine whether the diagnostic accuracy of an ANN-based diagnostic system and conventional quantitation are comparable.MethodsThe ANN was trained to classify potentially abnormal areas as true or false based on the nuclear cardiology expert interpretation of 1001 gated stress/rest 99mTc-MIBI images at 12 hospitals. The diagnostic accuracy of the ANN was compared with 364 expert interpretations that served as the gold standard of abnormality for the validation study. Conventional summed stress/rest/difference scores (SSS/SRS/SDS) were calculated and compared with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis.ResultsThe ANN generated a better area under the ROC curves (AUC) than SSS (0.92 vs. 0.82, p < 0.0001), indicating better identification of stress defects. The ANN also generated a better AUC than SDS (0.90 vs. 0.75, p < 0.0001) for stress-induced ischemia. The AUC for patients with old myocardial infarction based on rest defects was 0.97 (0.91 for SRS, p = 0.0061), and that for patients with and without a history of revascularization based on stress defects was 0.94 and 0.90 (p = 0.0055 and p < 0.0001 vs. SSS, respectively). The SSS/SRS/SDS steeply increased when ANN values (probability of abnormality) were >0.80.ConclusionThe ANN was diagnostically accurate in various clinical settings, including that of patients with previous myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization. The ANN could help to diagnose coronary artery disease.

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In this clinical practice guideline, the recommendations and levels of evidence are classified in accordance with the updated JCS statement, encompassing the estimated benefit in proportion to risk (Tables 1,2).

ABI ankle-brachial index ACC American College of Cardiology ACS acute coronary syndrome AHA American Heart Association APV averaged peak velocity ARH autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia AS Agatston score ASO arteriosclerosis obliterans ATP adenosine triphosphate BMIPP β-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid BNP B-type natriuretic peptide CABG coronary artery bypass grafting CACS coronary artery calcium score CAD coronary artery disease CANM Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine CanSCMR Canadian Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance CAR Canadian Association of Radiologists CCS Canadian Cardiovascular Society CCTA coronary CT angiography CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CFR coronary flow reserve CFVR coronary flow velocity reserve CI confidence interval CKD chronic kidney disease CNCS Canadian Nuclear Cardiology Society CPAP continuous positive airway pressure CT computed tomography CTA computed tomography angiography CTDIvol computed omography dose index volume ▋ 2.2.1 Selection of the Lead System and Recording Time Appropriate ECG recording is essential for making a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Care should be exercised with regard to selection of the electrodes, leads, paste, and lead system to obtain stable recordings during daily activities. The leads that are most likely to reflect ischemic changes are V5-like leads. In particular, lead CM5 is less affected by body movements and has a good detection rate for ischemic changes. 50 A 2-lead system is commonly used, and the AHA guidelines recommend a combination of leads that approximates leads V1 and V5. 51 For capturing ST elevation in patients with variant angina, vertical leads (II, III, and aVF) and approximations to lead V2 or V3 provide a high diagnostic rate. 52 Both circadian and diurnal (dayto-day) variations may exist in relation to the incidence and duration of myocardial ischemia and the extent of ST changes. However, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of diurnal variation based on 24-hour recording, which means that 48-hour recording is desirable for detecting myocardial ischemia and determining the response to treatment. ▋ 2.2.2 Criteria for ST-Segment Changes The diagnostic significance of persistent ST depression on Holter ECG is not high. Rather, detection and evaluation of transient ST-segment changes is more important. The criteria for ST depression are as follows: (1) horizontal or sagging depression of the ST segment by ≥0.1 mV; (2) reaching maximum ST depression after 1 min; and (3) ST depression of ≥0.1 mV lasting for ≥30-60 s compared with the baseline in a controlled state. 49,53-55 ST depression is measured at 0.08 s after the S or J point, and J-type ST depression is not judged to be ischemic ST depression. 52 When counting the number of ischemic episodes, the definition adopted is that each ischemic interval should last for at least 1 min. 56 The criterion for ST elevation is elevation of the ST segment by ≥0.1 mV lasting for ≥30-60 s in leads without Q waves. 49 In patients with chest pain ...