Background: HCV is one of the health priority in Egypt due to its high prevalence. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy in manifest stage can affect the patient's prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of gated SPECT in detection of early HCV related cirrhotic cardiomyopathy
Methods: We studied forty Child A HCV cirrhotic patients with no other cardiac risk factors by conventional echocardiography and Tc99 sestamibi gated SPECT and twenty normal persons as controls.
Results: the studied group showed blunted response to stress no ischemic changes and normal right ventricular measures.
Conclusions: HCV had an early effect on the heart in the form of chronotropic impairment with stress.