Abstract

Coronary artery disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for selecting optimal therapeutic interventions and improving patient outcomes. Various imaging modalities are employed for this purpose, while hybrid imaging techniques combine the advantages of individual modalities, providing a more detailed assessment of the myocardium’s morphological and functional characteristics. This paper provides an overview of the available imaging methods for diagnosing coronary artery disease, with a particular emphasis on the role and application of hybrid techniques as a modern approach that contributes to more effective therapy planning and reduces the need for multiple diagnostic procedures. Special attention is given to the role of radiologic technologists in the entire diagnostic process, their daily professional responsibilities, and the importance of continuous professional development in the use of hybrid systems.

Keywords: hybrid imaging, coronary heart disease, PET/CT, PET/MR, radiopharmaceuticals, SPECT/CT, radiologic technologist, myocardial perfusion

Abbreviations and acronyms: ASNC (American Society of Nuclear Cardiology), AV (Atrioventricular), CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), CFR (Coronary Flow Reserve), CNMT (Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist), CT (Computed Tomography), EANM (European Association of Nuclear Medicine), ECG (Electrocardiography), LGE (Late Gadolinium Enhancement), MBF (Myocardial Blood Flow), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), MRAC (Magnetic Resonance-based Attenuation Correction), OSEM (Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization), PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), PET (Positron Emission Tomography), PSF (Point Spread Function), QA/QC (Quality Assurance / Quality Control), RT(N) (Radiologic Technologist – Nuclear), RT(R)(CT) (Radiologic Technologist – Radiology/Computed Tomography), SiPMs (Silicon Photomultipliers), SDS (Summed Difference Score), SNMMI (Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging), SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography), SSS (Summed Stress Score), SRS (Summed Rest Score), SUV (Standardized Uptake Value), TOF (Time of Flight), UTE (Ultrashort Echo Time), WHO (World Health Organization)