Use of Multimodal Imaging in Patients with Multiple Ventricular Extrasystoles - Pilot Results

Disturbances of autonomic function in the heart associated with premature ventricular complexes (PVC) are associated with a decrease in ejection fraction as well as increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. Standard imaging techniques such as cMRI and coronary angiography secure the exclusion of other causes of PVC as ischemia and progressive fibrosis. These methods are not suitable for cardiac autonomic nervous system imaging and can't describe the cause of related PVCs. This may be described by 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy. We examined a pilot group of 6 patients, in which 3 individuals presented a disorder in the adrenergic innervation of the left ventricular myocardium and we present these as case reports.