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Published on: July 19, 2013
MRI changes in myocarditis--evaluation with spin echo, cine MR angiography and contrast enhanced spin echo imaging
G H Roditi1, G G Hartnell, M C Cohen
1Department of Radiology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. g.roditi@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Clinical Radiology
|October 29, 2000
Summary
Diagnosing myocarditis can be improved using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Focal myocardial enhancement on MRI, especially with wall motion abnormalities, strongly suggests myocarditis in the right clinical setting.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Myocarditis is often underdiagnosed using current clinical criteria.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows potential for diagnosing heart muscle disorders.
- There is a need for non-invasive tools for myocarditis prognosis and follow-up.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic role of cine magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and contrast enhancement in myocarditis.
- To assess the utility of MRI in aiding myocarditis prognosis and follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Twenty patients underwent T1 spin echo MRI with and without gadolinium contrast and cine MRA.
- Images were assessed for regional wall motion abnormalities and contrast enhancement patterns in a blinded manner.
- Signal intensity measurements were used to analyze contrast enhancement.
Main Results:
- Focal myocardial enhancement with regional wall motion abnormality correlated with myocarditis in 10 of 12 patients.
- Two additional patients with abnormal focal enhancement alone were clinically diagnosed with myocarditis.
- Abnormal focal enhancement was not observed in non-myocarditis patients, with >40% corrected myocardial enhancement indicating abnormality.
Conclusions:
- Focal myocardial enhancement on spin echo MRI, particularly with regional wall motion abnormality, supports myocarditis diagnosis in the appropriate clinical context.
- MRI offers a promising non-invasive method for diagnosing and monitoring myocarditis.
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