Can Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy detect myocarditis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus?
This case report demonstrates that Ga-67 citrate scintigraphy can detect myocarditis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Cardiac uptake of Ga-67 in myocarditis has been described in association with a number of disease entities. However, there are no reports in the current literature describing Ga-67 uptake in myocarditis due to systemic lupus erythematosus, a disease that often involves the heart. The authors present the case of a patient with a long history of systemic lupus erythematosus in whom new ECG changes and left ventricular wall motion abnormality developed, and who demonstrated significant global myocardial uptake on Ga-67 scintigraphy. Other etiologies including myocardial infarction, epicardial coronary disease, pericarditis, endocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and viral infection were excluded during extensive work-up.
Jolles et al. (Mon,) studied this question.