Keywords:
Inflammation, Complications, MR, Cardiovascular system, Cardiac
Authors:
E. Detorakis1, G. Antemisaris2, R. Illing3; 1Iraklion/GR, 2Heraklion/GR, 3Budapest/HU
Methods and Materials
48 consecutive patients included in this prospective study (44 men, 4 women, median age 29 years) with suspected acute myocarditis. All patients reported a history of previous viral infection within the last 15-25 days, 41 had an upper respiratory tract infection while the remaining 7 had symptoms related to viral gastroenteritis. About 5 to 10 days before CMR examination 42 out of 48 presented episodes of chest pain and discomfort and 44 had elevated cardiac troponin blood levels. ECG-gated CMR imaging was performed in a 1.5 T system (Signa CV/i, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA). The imaging protocol included triple inversion recovery black-blood turbo-spin echo pulse sequences (STIR) for the detection of myocardial oedema in short axis levels, T1-w black-blood fast spin echo images acquired 8-15 min following i.v administration of 0.1mmol/kg of Gadobutrol Gd-CA (Gadovist®, Bayer-Schering Pharma, Berlin, Germany) in short axis and 4-chamber view in order to detect possible areas of LGE, using a typical phase-sensitive inversion-recovery gradient echo sequence, continuously adapting the TI values for best nulling of normal myocardium. All images in LGE were acquired in standardized apical, mid-cavity and basal short axis levels covering all American Heart Association (AHA) 17-segment model.