Assessment of myocardial damage in dilated-phase hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by using indium-111-antimyosin Fab myocardial scintigraphy.

For the detection of myocardial cell damage, an 111In-antimyosin Fab study was carried out on seven patients (Group A) in the dilated phase of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, seven patients (Group B) with dilated cardiomyopathy, and eight control patients (Group C). Imaging was done 48 hr after intravenous injection of 74 MBq of 111In-antimyosin Fab. Myocardial antimyosin uptake was visually graded as 0, +1, +2 or +3. A score of +2 or +3 was considered positive. The heart/lung ratio of antimyosin uptake (antimyosin index) also was determined. Antimyosin uptake was positive in seven (100%), nine (90%) and no (0%) patients in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. The antimyosin index in Groups A and B was 2.46 +/- 0.49 and 2.04 +/- 0.24, respectively, findings were significantly higher than that in Group C (1.51 +/- 0.13) (p less than 0.01). Positive biopsy findings were noted in only two patients in Group A. Thus, antimyosin uptake was increased in dilated phase hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy, which suggests ongoing necrotic changes in these patients.