The value of Radionuclide Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in children with viral myocarditis

To investigate the value of Radionuclide Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in the children with viral myocarditis (VMC), a set respective study of 121 patients hospitalized for VMC were divided into clinical final diagnose group and suspicious diagnose group. ^99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) myocardial perfusion imaging was performed in all patients. 33/61 cases were abnormal in clinical diagnose group, 20/ 60 cases were abnormal in suspicious diagnose group. There was significant difference between two groups (χ²=5.30, P<;60;0.05). The most common injured segments were located at anterior wall, followed at Inferior wall and lateral wall. Enlarged ventricle were detected in 12/ 61 patients of diagnose groups and in 4/60 patients of suspicious diagnose groups. There was significant difference between two groups (χ²=4.46, P<;60;0.05). Positive detection rate and ventricular expansion of ^99mTc-MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging in different stages of clinical diagnosis groups were the highest in the acute phase, lower in convalescence and chronic stages, there were significant differences (P <;0.05). Mocardial perfusion imaging-positive patients restored normal or improved markedly six months after the treatment in the follow-up. In conclusion, as a non-Invasive and safe method, ^99mTc-MIBI myocardial imaging has a better positive detection rate for the myocardial damage caused by myocarditis, can observed directly the location, extent and degree of myocardial damage of VMC, and the positive rate is related to course of the disease. It plays an important role in clinical diagnosis, evaluation of treatment, prognosis and follow-up.