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Question:
What does "dead back of the heart" mean?
A friend has been told "possible dead back of heart". What does this mean and is this treatable?
submitted by Sally from IN on 6/26/2015
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Michael J. Mihalick, MD
Dear Sally,
From what you describe, I assume that your friend may have suffered a posterior or inferior myocardial infarction which is medical jargon for a 'dead spot in the back of your heart'. If you have had no symptoms of chest pain or have no history of being hospitalized for this, we may be talking about a spot on the back of you heart that doesn't take up isotope during a nuclear stress test. If this is the case, then the abnormality could either be a scar or perhaps simply an artifact (a false abnormality). Depending on the circumstances, your cardiologist may or may not want to pursue this with further testing, especially if he thinks that the defect is likely to be an artifact. The back of the heart has always been a difficult area to assess. You should ask your cardiologist what this finding means in your particular case. I hope this answers your question. Sincerely.
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Updated July 2015
