MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FOR ASSESSING VENTRICULAR VOLUME AND FUNCTION IN ALCOHOLIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is difficult to diagnose until clinical congestive heart failure (CHF) appears. Earlier recognition and treat ment might halt progression to CHF. We used ECG-gated, fast-field echo , short-axis H-1 magnetic resonance images (MRI) to evaluate left vent ricular (LV) function in 4 normal subjects, 4 chronic alcoholic patien ts with CHF, and 4 chronic alcoholic patients. MRT images were analyze d to generate volume-versus-time curves. LV mass (LVM) and volume data were derived as follows: end-diastolic volume (EDV) and EDV index (ED VI) and end-systolic volume (ESV) and ESV index (ESVI); stroke volume (SV) and SV index (SVI), LVM and LVM index (LVMI) and ejection fractio n (EF). In ACM patients, EDVI (121 +/- 30 cm(3)) and ESVI (90 +/- 20 c m(3)) were significantly increased (p < 0.001), and EF was significant ly decreased (27 +/- 9%) compared to normal patients (64 +/- 6%; p < 0 .001). In ACM and asymptomatic (ASX) patients, LVMI (64 +/- 15, 72 +/- 9 g/m(2), respectively) was greater than in normals (48 +/- 9 g/m(2); p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively); this was the only parameter th at differed in ASX versus normal subjects. MRI measurement of LV funct ion and mass is an effective tool for documenting the clinical and sub clinical effects of alcohol on the heart.