title: Serial magnetic resonance imaging in patients following acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: The detection of serial changes in magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity of the heart following acute myocardial infarction may provide a useful method of characterizing tissue healing. Fourteen patients with acute Q-wave infarction underwent T2-weighted, spin-echo cardiac imaging during hospitalization, followed by one or more additional MR studies (total 31) over a 6- to 27-wk period (mean: 3 mo). Visual assessment of the images demonstrated a gradual reduction in signal intensity and localization of the bright signal to the subendocardium of the infarction region over the three-mo study period. A quantitative measurement of signal intensity (infarction/normal myocardium) fell from 1.81 +/- 0.42 on the initial study to 1.34 +/- 0.37 (p less than 0.05) at a mean of 14 wk. Two patients had an increase in signal intensity on the follow-up study and both patients had been readmitted with acute coronary syndromes. In summary, characterization of changes in signal intensity may provide a useful method of assessing myocardial healing following acute myocardial infarction. Further studies are indicated to determine the prognostic significance of these parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Johnston
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*