Perfusion imaging during a cardiac stress test is commonly called what?

• A. Echocardiography
• B. Nuclear stress test
• C. Cardiac MRI
• D. Angiography

Answer: (B)

Perfusion imaging during a cardiac stress test is commonly called a nuclear stress test. It uses radioactive tracers injected at peak stress and then imaged with a gamma camera or PET scanner to visualize blood flow to the heart muscle. By comparing images taken at stress with those at rest, clinicians can spot areas that don’t receive enough blood during activity. If a defect appears during stress but normalizes at rest, it suggests reversible ischemia from flow limitation; if a defect is present in both states, it may indicate scar from a prior heart attack. This approach specifically images perfusion, unlike echocardiography (which assesses structure and function) or angiography (which maps the arteries themselves). Cardiac MRI perfusion is another method, but the term nuclear stress test is the common name for perfusion imaging using radioactive tracers.