Value of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with a recent myocardial infarction: comparison with planar thallium-201 scintigraphy.
The diagnostic accuracy of spin-echo Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging in the detection and localization of a recent myocardial infarction (mean 4 days old) was compared to planar thallium-201 scintigraphy in 20 patients with a documented myocardial infarction. A control group of 10 subjects underwent a similar MR imaging procedure without thallium-201 scintigraphy. T1-weighted MR images (TE 30 msec) showed abnormal thinning of the infarcted left ventricular wall during systole (less than 50% of the opposite wall) in 11 patients (55%). On T2-weighted multi-echo MR images, (TE 30-60-90-120 msec) abnormally increased signal intensity was found in 17 patients and coincided with the location of the infarction. Thallium-201 scintigraphy detected the infarction in 18 patients. Comparison of T2-MR imaging and thallium-201 scintigraphy showed concordant findings in 82% of the left ventricular segments. In 9% of segments, thallium uptake was reduced with normal T2-MR and in 9% we found a normal thallium uptake with abnormal T2-MR findings. In all subjects of the control group, T1-MR images were normal, and only one subject showed increased signal intensity on T2-MR images. We conclude that the diagnostic accuracy of MR imaging in detecting a myocardial infarction is similar to that of T1-201 scintigraphy.
Krauss
X H
XH
Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Van der Wall
E E
EE
Doornbos
J
J
Blokland
J A
JA
Postema
S
S
de Roos
A
A
Van der Laarse
A
A
Cats
V M
VM
Van Voorthuisen
A E
AE
Bruschke
A V
AV
D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes