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CMR evaluation in patients with high grade ventricular arrhythmias

2009, Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

ABSTRACT PURPOSE To assess by cardiac-MR the prevalence of myocardial morphologic and/or functional alterations in arrhythmic patients. METHOD AND MATERIALS We examined 43 patients with non ischemic ventricular arrhythmias. Premature ventricular complexes had left bundle branch block morphology(LBBB) in 29 cases, in 7 a right bundle branch block contour(RBBB) and 7 had polymorphic patterns(PV). US was negative in 78.4% of patients, while CMR was negative in only 13% of patients. Studies were performed on a 1.5 MR scanner with Cine sequences (FIESTA), bb-FSE and IR-prep FGRE 15 minutes after injection of 0,2 mmol/Kg of Gd-DTPA. RESULTS CMR found a high prevalence of morphological, signal intensity and functional myocardial abnormalities. RV dilatation was found in 85% of patients with PV arrhytmias, 48.3% of patients with LBBB morphology, 12.5% of patients with RBBB morphology. LV dilatation was present in 28.6%, 25% and 24.1 % of patients with LBBB, PV and RBBB type arrhytmias respectively. RV wall motion abnormalities were identified in 50% and 36.7 % of patients with PV and LBBB pattern respectively; LV wall motion abnormalities in 25% and 10.3% of patients with PV and LBBB pattern respectively. Free wall RV signal/thickness abnormalities were found in 23,3% of patients(18.6% with LBBB pattern and 4.7 with PV pattern); LV signal abnormalities were found in 11.6% of patients(9.3% with LBBB pattern and 2.3% with PV pattern). Seven patients underwent myocardial biopsy: 5 were positive for myocarditis, 1 was positive for ARVD, one had a negative biopsy. CONCLUSION In patients with primary ventricular arrhythmias CMR documented high prevalence (87%) of morphological, signal intensity and wall motion abnormalities even with negative echocardiogram. CLINICAL RELEVANCE/APPLICATION CMR sholud be considered first choice technique in patients with high grade non ischemic ventricular arrythmias, to select candidates for endomyocardial byopsies and to guide the site of the byopsy.