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Nuclear ventriculography

• Overview
• Risks
• Results

Alternative Names:

Cardiac blood pooling imaging; Heart scan - nuclear; Radionuclide ventriculography (RNV); Multiple gate acquisition scan (MUGA)

Normal Values:

Normal results indicate normal heart squeezing function. The test can check both the overall squeezing strength of the heart, known as ejection fraction (a normal value is above 55%), and the motion of individual parts of the heart. If one part of the heart is moving poorly while the others move well, it may mean that there is a blockage in the artery of the heart that delivers blood to the damaged part.

What abnormal results mean:

Abnormal results may indicate poor pumping function, a prior heart attack ( myocardial infarction ), blockages in the coronary arteries ( coronary artery disease ), heart valve disease, or other cardiac disorders that weaken the heart function.

Other conditions under which the test may be performed:

• Atrial septal defect
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Idiopathic cardiomyopathy
• Mitral stenosis
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Senile cardiac amyloid

• Review Date: 5/30/2007
• Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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