title: Use of cardiac MR imaging to evaluate the presence of myocarditis in autoimmune myositis: three cases.
abstract: Cardiac involvement in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (autoimmune myositis) is important to detect because it confers an increased risk of mortality. However, detection of myocardial involvement is hampered by a lack of sensitivity of traditional non-invasive methods, and the finding of elevated cardiac troponin T levels that may be due to regenerating skeletal muscle, rather than myocardial damage. Here, we describe three cases of inflammatory myositis with elevated troponin T levels, and non-specific echocardiographic and ECG findings. Cardiac MR imaging was useful in the evaluation for the presence of myocarditis or alternative cardiac pathology.
authors.affiliation: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. catherine.toong@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toong
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puranik
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adelstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D009220:Myositis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D020107:Troponin T; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA