Right ventricular myocardial infarction other imaging findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Radionuclide ventriculography and technetium-99m-pyrophosphate scanning

• These techniques have acceptable sensitivities and specificities for making a diagnosis of right ventricular infarction. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Radionuclide angiography can detect wall motion abnormalities and hypoperfusion in the affected right ventricle. It can also be used to quantitate both left and right ventricular ejection fractions. Technetium scanning, on the other hand, is particularly useful for late diagnosis, as it shows areas of necrotic or dying myocardium.
• However, both methods are cumbersome and time consuming. They are also frequently difficult to perform at the bedside, particularly when the patient is unstable in the intensive care unit and nuclear cardiology equipment is not readily portable. Thus, these tests are best performed later in the course to further quantify the degree of right ventricular infarction and dysfunction.

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