title: Imaging of acute myocardial infarction by magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) using the paramagnetic relaxation substance gadolinium-DTPA.
abstract: Twenty-six patients admitted to the Free University of Berlin University Hospital catheterization laboratory with acute myocardial infarction were studied. The diagnosis was confirmed by angiography, but acute revascularization was unsuccessful in every case. MR imaging was performed within 7 days of the acute event in 11 patients with uncomplicated clinical courses after acute infarction. Imaging was performed within 3 weeks in three additional cases, while the remaining 12 patients underwent studies more than 3 weeks after infarction. We determined signal intensity at three points within the area of infarction and at three other points in adjacent myocardial tissue. Decreased signal intensity within the area of infarction was found in native scans in 60% of all cases. Administration of gadolinium-DTPA 0.1 mmol/kg body weight was followed by a mean 70% increase in signal intensity within the zones of acute infarction, as compared to a 20% increase in surrounding myocardial tissue. In cases of subacute and chronic infarction, there was no significant signal enhancement after administration of gadolinium-DTPA. Uptake of the substance in the area of acute infarction may be a positive marker of acute myocardial necrosis and as such may prove useful in the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Rudolf Virchow, Free University of Berlin, FRG.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Eichstaedt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Danne
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmutzler
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA