Myocarditis other imaging findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Homa Najafi, M.D.[2]Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.

Coronary angiography may be helpful in excluding either myocardial ischemia or infarction as the cause of ST segment elevation, elevated cardiac biomarkers, or left ventricular dysfunction. Nuclear imaging may be useful in diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis.

• Since myocarditis presents similar to MI with ECG changes (ST segment elevation) and elevated cardiac enzymes, coronary angiography may be valuable in excluding coronary disease as the cause of cardiac dysfunction.^[1][2][3]

• Ventriculography may demonstrate decreased ejection fraction.

• Elevated ventricular pressures may be noted in patients with systolic or diastolic dysfunction.

• Nuclear imaging may be useful in diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis. The nuclear imaging that can be used in detection of cardiac sarcoidosis include:^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}
  • Antimyosin antibody imaging
  • Tallium 201 scintigraphy
  • Technetium 99m scintigraphy
  • Gallium-67 scintigraphy
  • 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)

• Note: The only recommendation for using nuclear imaging in the diagnosis of myocarditis is cardiac sarcoidosis.