Diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities in patients with nonischemic tachyarrhythmias: additional value of MR imaging.

PURPOSE

To assess the contribution of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of patients with nonischemic tachyarrhythmias and equivocal diagnosis following echocardiography and cardiac angiography.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Twenty-five patients with nonischemic tachyarrhythmias and equivocal diagnosis were studied using MR imaging. Before the MR examination all patients underwent two-dimensional echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. The type of additional information, obtained with MR imaging, ranged from confirming a suspected diagnosis in 5 patients (20%) to the identification of new important anatomic or functional information, allowing a correct diagnosis in 18 patients (72%). In two patients (8%) the MR diagnosis was incomplete.

CONCLUSION

MR imaging may be an important additional diagnostic tool in the evaluation of cardiac abnormalities in patients with nonischemic tachyarrhythmias.