[Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT proves safe and effective: diagnosis of coronary heart disease completed in one day].

Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT is a technique in which data from both nuclear single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and a CT scan are combined. These techniques are complementary to each other, as CT provides information about anatomy of coronary arteries (stenosis, calcification, aberrant vessels) while SPECT detects functional consequences such as myocardial ischemia. In 2009, the Isala Hospital in Zwolle (the Netherlands) was one of the first centres in Europe to introduce this technique. Hybrid cardiac SPECT-CT has proved to be effective and safe in reaching a comprehensive diagnosis and gives the physician the ability to reach a diagnosis in only one day. In addition, it has led to about 20% fewer invasive coronary angiograms. Utilising this technique requires close collaboration between cardiologists and nuclear medicine specialists.