title: Diagnostic accuracy of standard axial 64-slice chest CT compared to cardiac MRI for the detection of cardiomyopathies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic accuracy of standard axial chest CT compared with cardiac MRI for cardiomyopathies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The standard axial 64-slice chest CTs of 49 patients with cardiomyopathies and 27 controls were blindly assessed for the presence of a cardiomyopathy by two independent readers. Qualitative and quantitative analysis included assessment of: (i) interatrial septal thickness, (ii) left atrial diameter, (iii) myocardial hypertrophy, thinning or fat, (iv) myocardial and papillary muscle calcification, (v) papillary muscle thickness, (vi) calcified coronary artery segments, (vii) left ventricular (LV) diameter, (viii) interventricular septal thickness and (ix) right ventricular diameters. Cardiac MRI was the gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 21 (42.9%) dilated, 16 (32.7%) hypertrophic, 8 (16.3%) ischaemic and 4 other (8.2%) (LV non-compaction × 2, amyloid, idiopathic restrictive) patients with cardiomyopathies. An LV diameter of 47 mm, interventricular septal thickness of 14 mm and coronary artery/papillary muscle calcification on axial chest CT best distinguished dilated, hypertrophic and ischaemic cardiomyopathies from controls, respectively; kappa = 0.45 (moderate interobserver agreement). The sensitivity (95% confidence interval), specificity, positive- and negative-predictive values (95% confidence interval) and diagnostic accuracy of chest CT in diagnosing cardiomyopathies were 68% (52-83), 100%, 100%, 66% (55-85) and 80%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiomyopathies may be detected on standard chest CT with good sensitivity and high specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is useful to assess for an underlying cardiomyopathy on standard chest CT, especially in a patient with unexplained dyspnoea.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Lisa P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lavelle
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Rory L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: O'Donohoe
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Thoracic Imaging, Hospital Calmette, University Lille, CHU Lille, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rémy-Jardin
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed