Combined electrocardiography, coronary angiography and magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of viral myocarditis: A case report

Endomyocardial biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing viral myocarditis. However, this method is rarely used as it is more invasive, less sensitive and has a higher incidence of complications than other methods. With recent developments in myocarditis research, cardiovascular nuclear magnetic resonance imaging has been demonstrated to have a marked advantage over endomyocardial biopsy, specifically regarding the differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, as it is noninvasive, repeatable, highly sensitive and highly specific for diagnosing myocarditis. Myocardial edema is characteristic of myocardial inflammation, myocardial necrosis and myocardial fibrosis. T2-weighted nuclear magnetic resonance imaging sensitively detects myocardial tissue edema and additional imaging parameters contribute to the diagnosis of myocarditis. Therefore, combining these methods with the current sophisticated electrocardiogram and coronary angiography examination methods may facilitate the rapid and accurate assessment of viral myocarditis. A 44-year-old male patient with symptoms of dyspnea and shortness of breath accompanied by dizziness, through electrocardiography, coronary angiography and magnetic resonance imaging, was diagnosed viral myocarditis.