MRI is better than SPECT in assessing heart damage

[Lisa Salberg]

September 4, 2005

SECTION: EXPANDED REPORTING; Pg. 166

LENGTH: 311 words

HEADLINE: HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY;
MRI is better than SPECT in assessing heart damage

BODY:

*** Contrast-enhanced MRI is better than SPECT in detecting heart damage in
patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that can lead to sudden
death in young patients.

*** SPECT nuclear medicine studies are currently the most common way to look for
myocardial damage in these patients; however, a new study, published in the
August 2005 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, found that MRI is a
more comprehensive examination than SPECT.

*** "MRI was better able to detect small areas of heart damage and was able to
provide us with important data on cardiac function," said Yasuo Amano, MD,
associate professor of radiology at the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, Japan.
Amano is the lead author of the study. "MRI was able to properly reflect the
myocardial damages that could lead to cardiac dysfunction in patients with
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy," he said.

*** The study included 23 patients; 368 segments of their hearts were
investigated. The patients were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
following an echocardiography screening examination. All of the patients had a
SPECT and an MRI examination. "The results of our study indicate that
contrast-enhanced MRI should be used on patients diagnosed with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy to determine the level of damage to the heart. SPECT can be done
if no abnormalities appear on the MRI examination," Amano said.

*** Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by abnormal thickening of the
heart wall. The disease "results from several genetic abnormalities and
environmental factors," said Amano. Its prevalence is not precisely known,
although some reports indicate that it occurs in about 0.2% of the population,
affecting men and women equally, he said.

[Cynaburst]

If MRI is to become the standard for assessing cardiac condition in HCM, they better come up with a way for patients with pacemakers and defibs to undergo MRI!

I am hoping that this happens sooner rather than later....

Apparently there was one recent study done which found that the patients with pacemakers that were enrolled in the study were able to successfully undergo MRI. I hope that science is able to solve this quandary soon.

[Largehearted]

Hear! Hear!

Those of us with devices don't want to be left out.

Leon

[Toogoofy317]

I second that motion.

I feel at this point in my case a lot of unanswered questions might come to light if we could do an MRI. Because my docs can't decide wether my microvascular events are what is causing my long term problems. The Spect images didn't show anything but gave me a wrong EF fraction that resulted in a unnecessary trip to Boston!

I get jitters walking about the trailer at my hospital that houses the MRI(the huge sticker with an AICD crossed out doesn't help). Should have seen me when I had to walk into it when the phone lines were out. The tech said she'd never seen anyone so white! but, assured that if I was on this side of the plexiglass door I was safe. I don't know when someone says plexiglass I don't associate it with magnetic safety! :wink:

Mary S.

[Lisa Salberg]

I have spoken to several people about this - it sounds like about 5 years off. But it appears to be on its way!

Hang in there folks!
Lisa