With the in-depth study of the pathophysiological changes of ischemic myocardium, some experimental studies have found that in many patients with coronary heart disease, severe lesions and long duration of diseases which do not recover due to revascularization, are mainly related to the viable myocardium in the affected area. Survival myocardium refers to those perfusion defect-induced dysfunctional but not dead cardiomyocytes, including stunned myocardium and hibernating myocardium. Therefore, accurate assessment of viable myocardium is important for the development of clinical treatment options and prognosis assessment of such patients. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can evaluate the survival of hibernating myocardium and quantitatively analyze it. Thus PET/CT can provide useful information for the possibility of myocardial function recovery after revascularization, treatment options and prognosis evaluation.
