Acute myocarditis presenting as acute myocardial infarction and sudden death with complete atrioventricular block: value of antimyosin scintigraphy

Abstract

Because endomyocardial biopsy may have poor sensitivity in clinical practice, antimyosin scintigraphy can be an effective noninvasive tool for diagnosing diffuse myocyte necrosis in acute myocarditis. In case of acute AV block, the diagnosis of myocarditis is clinically relevant because permanent pacing is not usually required, and the differential diagnosis with acute myocardial infarction may be difficult. Antimyosin scintigraphy may thus have therapeutic implications in acute AV block.