Adenosine Stress Myocardial Perfusion Scan

It is an effective method to find out how well blood flows to the heart muscle when it is stressed. It is performed using a small amount of a radioactive substance, known as adenosine. In a scan, the areas where the tracer has been absorbed look different from the areas that do not absorb it. The damaged areas are known as “defects.” The test is usually done at rest and following stress. The two sets of images are then compared.