In the past few years it has become clear that left ventricular dysfunction, even of severe degree, may be reversible after coronary revascularization in some patients. As a result, myocardial viability has captured the imagination of researchers and clinicians seeking to unravel the cellular and subcellular mechanisms and define appropriate diagnostic modalities. These diagnostic modalities include: cardiac catheterization, positron-emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, two-dimensional echocardiography and single-photon imaging. This book, for the first time, brings together a diverse array of information in a comprehensive and concise fashion using a template of ten chapters written by experts in the field. It will be required reading for cardiologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists and basic researchers and their trainees who are involved in the management of patients with coronary artery disease in whom myocardial viability is a clinically relevant issue.

1. Introduction; A.S. Iskandrian, E.E. van der Wall. 2. Myocardial ischemia, stunning and hibernation: blood flow, metabolism and pathophysiology mechanism; M.W. Finkel, C.V. Oddis, B.G. Hattler, R.L. Simmons. 3. Thallium-201 to assess myocardial viability; L.L. Johnson. 4. The role of technetium-99m Sestamibi in the evaluation of myocardial viability; P. Rigo, T. Benoit, S. Braat. 5. Delineation of viable myocardium with metabolic imaging; S.R. Bergmann. 6. Echocardiographic assessment of myocardial viability; S. Kaul. 7. Magnetic resonance techniques for the assessment of myocardial viability; E.E. van der Wall, H.W. Vliegen. 8. Approach to the assessment of myocardial viability in the cardiac catheterization laboratory; M.J. Kern, M.S. Flynn. 9. The cardiac surgeon's viewpoint of myocardial viability; E.H.G. Venneker, B.L.F. van Eck-Smit, G.L. van Rijk-Zwikker. 10. When is myocardial viability a clinical relevant issue? Summary and perspectives; A.S. Iskandrian, E.E. van der Wall. Index.