Cardiac Perfusion Scan
Cardiolite Stress Test, Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy, Nonexercise stress test, Nuclear Stress Test, Thallium Scan, Thallium/Technetium (Sestamibi) Cardiac Scan
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- A recent, serious heart attack.
- Inflammation of the heart, such as myocarditis or sarcoidosis.
- Bruising of the heart muscle (cardiac contusion).
- Weakening of the heart muscle.
- Stiffening of the heart muscle (myocardial fibrosis).
- A severely narrowed heart valve.
- Implanted cardiac devices, such as a pacemaker.
- A condition that makes it difficult to exercise, such as lung disease, arthritis, or a neuromuscular problem.
- Some medicines, such as dipyridamole (Persantine) and pentoxifylline (Trental).
- Severe electrolyte imbalances (especially calcium, potassium, sodium, or magnesium).
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding (except in an emergency).
Test results may be difficult to interpret in scans done on women with large breasts.
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| Author: | Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: December 24, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
 | What Affects the Test |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |