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News
Combining two imaging tools beats one for myocarditis risk. A new 100-patient study found that patients with myocarditis whose cardiac MRI (CMR) and FDG PET/CT scans showed matching abnormalities were nearly four times more likely to experience major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within a year. Researchers say the dual-imaging strategy could help clinicians better manage these complex, often ambiguous cases without relying on invasive biopsies.
Combining two imaging tools beats one for myocarditis risk
For patients with known or suspected myocarditis, pairing cardiac MRI (CMR) with FDG PET/CT may offer sharper prognostic insight than either scan alone. A retrospective study of 100 patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital found that when both imaging modalities flagged the same areas of the heart as abnormal — so-called "concordant" findings — patients faced a significantly higher risk of serious cardiac events over the following year.
The study, presented at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology meeting and published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, offers a potential noninvasive alternative to endomyocardial biopsy, which is invasive and often yields low diagnostic results. Senior investigator Dr. Sanjay Divakaran noted that the findings have already changed how his team monitors and counsels these patients, including greater use of loop recorders to watch for dangerous arrhythmias.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Myocarditis management is often a guessing game, especially without biopsy confirmation. This dual-imaging approach gives clinicians a clearer, noninvasive roadmap to identify which patients need closer monitoring or earlier treatment.
