title: [Dilated cardiomyopathy. Role of radioisotope technics].
abstract: Radionuclide techniques are easily obtainable, noninvasive examinations that provide useful information in the evaluation, diagnosis and management of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. The gated blood pool scan allows the assessment of ventricular size, configuration, and wall and septal thickness. These data allow the functional class of the cardiomyopathy (congestive, restrictive or hypertrophic) to be defined. Often Thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging adds further information and is particularly useful in distinguishing congestive cardiomyopathy from severe coronary artery disease and in depicting septal abnormalities in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Useful as these techniques are, they are not substitutes for conventional approaches to diagnosis. Careful history taking and physical examination, as well as scrutiny of the electrocardiogram, chest X-ray and echocardiogram should be standard practice for the evaluation of patients with suspected cardiomyopathy. Judicious use of noninvasive techniques may obviate the need for cardiac catheterization in many patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Scienze Radiologiche, Cattedra di Medicina Nucleare, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi, Napoli.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuocolo
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011875:Radionuclide Angiography; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
vernacular_title: Cardiomiopatia dilatativa. Ruolo delle tecniche radioisotopiche.