title: Morphologic correlate of pathologic Q waves as assessed by gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: To assess the morphologic correlate of the presence and absence of pathologic Q waves in the electrocardiogram, 30 patients with and 17 patients without pathologic Q waves and chronic myocardial infarction (infarct age > 4 months) and 15 patients without previous myocardial infarction but significant coronary artery disease (> 70% diameter stenoses) were studied by gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Short-axis MRI tomograms were evaluated on a segmental basis by calculating end-diastolic wall thickness and systolic wall thickening. All segments were graded transmural scar (end-diastolic wall thickness < end-diastolic wall thickness of a healthy control group [n = 21]-2.5 SD and lack of systolic wall thickening), hypokinetic (end-diastolic wall thickness > or = end-diastolic wall thickness of the control group-2.5 SD and systolic wall thickening < or = 2 mm), or normal (end-diastolic wall thickness > or = end-diastolic wall thickness of the control group-2.5 SD and systolic wall thickening > 2 mm) by MRI criteria. Myocardial infarcts were defined as transmural if at least 1 segment fulfilled the MRI criteria for transmural scar. Of 30 patients with Q-wave infarction, 26 (87%) had a transmural defect, and 6 of 17 patients (35%) with non-Q-wave infarction had a transmural infarct. Segmental evaluation yielded 129 of 480 scar segments (27%) for patients with Q-wave infarction, 20 of 272 scar segments (7%) for patients with non-Q-wave infarction, and no scar segments for patients without previous myocardial infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Klinik III für Innere Medizin, Universität zu Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Baer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Theissen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Voth
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schicha
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sechtem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology