Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of acute myocarditis in infants and children, and comparison with endomyocardial biopsy

The diagnosis of acute myocarditis has traditionally been based on the results of endomyocardial biopsy.1 This invasive procedure, particularly in children, may present major complications and is performed only at a limited number of centers. Recent studies have demonstrated the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in tissue characterization of cardiac allograft rejection2–4 that is histologically identical to acute myocarditis.5 The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity and specificity of MRI versus endomyocardial biopsy in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis in children.